AIDS Healthcare Foundation today is calling on United States Representative Chris Collins (R-NY) to recuse himself on any and all legislation that may affect any pharmaceutical company.
A Daily Beast news investigation published online earlier today found that Congressman Collins, “… has sponsored several bills that would have benefited a drug company in which he is the lead shareholder.”
The Daily Beast, “… found at least four bills that Collins drafted or sponsored that would have directly affected the drug company, Innate Immunotherapeutics (the drug company involved):
- A 2013 bill that would have appropriated more money to an NIH grant program from which Innate previously received $300,000.
- A 2016 bill that made it easier for drug companies to be granted FDA status to begin drug trials, which Innate received last year.
- A 2017 bill that would allow drug companies to use a new research method in clinical trials, which Innate would have benefited from.
- A 2017 draft bill that would have changed the 340B drug discount program to exclude patients who need expensive “infusion” drugs like Innate’s.”
“In this polarized political climate, now more than ever we need legislators to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest in the legislation they are considering and enacting. Many Americans already rank high drug prices as their number one concern, and any vote that appears to put a Congressman’s own interests above his constituents is corrosive,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “Given the recent issues reported on by the Daily Beast, we call on Rep. Collins to recuse himself from any legislation that might affect pharmaceutical companies.”
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 889,000 individuals in 39 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
