Request for Sign-Ons: Open Letter to Pharmaceutical Companies on the ADAP Crisis

AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) across the country are struggling to keep their doors open. Over 750 people in ten states are currently on ADAP waiting lists to access HIV/AIDS drugs, and more states are joining the ranks. This situation will not improve anytime soon - certainly not till the new Healthcare Reform Legislation is fully implemented - unless we act now!

ADAPs are at the center of a perfect storm, brought on by the economic meltdown, federal and state budget shortfalls, and the continuing escalation of drug prices. The number of new people who rely on ADAPs for their medications grew an unprecedented 80% each month between June 2008 and June 2009.

Below is a sign-on letter urging President Obama to support a $126 million emergency FY 2010 supplemental appropriation for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). It calls for:

1. Implementing a multi-year cost protection and rebate enhancement program for ADAPs to reduce their drug costs and allow them to reopen enrollments.

2. Offering streamlined Patient Assistance Program (PAP) eligibility for individuals on any state's ADAP waiting list.

Organizational and individual endorsements are needed for this letter, in anticipation of upcoming negotiations with ADAPs in May. Read the full letter below or click here to view the text and sign on. Signatures also may be sent to Ryan Clary at rclary@projectinform.org; be sure to provide:

Following the letter is a list of current signatories as of April 5, 2010. Signatures are being collected on an ongoing basis; updated letters with all signatories will be sent weekly to Jeff Crowley. This letter also will be used in advocacy with Members of Congress.

Open Sign On Letter

The Fair Pricing Coalition, in conjunction with undersigned members and organizations of the HIV community, call upon the manufacturers of HIV antiretrovirals and other medications used by people living with HIV/AIDS to provide immediate relief to AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and to work in partnership with HIV advocates to ensure that additional federal and state funding also flows to ADAPs.

The ADAP crisis is rapidly expanding.  These critical safety net programs are at the center of a perfect storm brought on by the economic meltdown, federal and state budget shortfalls, and continuing escalation of drug prices.

The number of new people who rely on ADAPs for their medications grew an unprecedented 80% each month from June 2008 and June 2009. States with waiting lists have grown from 3 to 10 in one year, and clients on those lists increased by 58% in the last quarter alone.  Numerous additional states are being forced to plan for imminent implementation of waiting lists, formulary reductions and eligibility cuts.

To meet the needs of over 166,000 individuals living with HIV, and tens of thousands more whose lives will depend on ADAP access in years to come, ADAPs, state and federal governments, and industry partners must all work together to solve this crisis.

The Fair Pricing Coalition and the HIV community are currently addressing budget issues with federal and state officials and are calling on pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide a financial bridge for ADAPs, particularly until the healthcare reform law is fully implemented.

ADAP survival requires that drug manufacturers hold ADAPs harmless against rising drug prices. We call upon manufacturers of HIV antiretroviral and other related drug manufacturers to implement a multi-year cost protection and rebate enhancement program for ADAPs which will allow all increased revenues to go toward eliminating waiting lists, providing medications to new clients, and maintaining formularies.

Although manufacturers provide Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) for individuals without government or private health insurance coverage, the confusing patchwork of eligibility and recertification criteria creates barriers to access. We call upon the companies to create a standardized PAP application and to provide automatic PAP enrollment to individuals on any state's ADAP waiting list who have already been certified ADAP-eligible by that state.

Industry must work diligently and in good faith with the ADAP Crisis Task Force during the May 2010 meetings to forge agreements that assure full access to life-saving medications for all people living with HIV/AIDS.

 List of Organizational Endoresers to Date
1917 Clinic in Birngham, Birmingham, Al
A Brave New Day, Jackson, MS
ACT UP PHILAELPHA, Philadelphia, PA
ADAP Advocacy Association (aaa+), Washington, DC
AEGiS, San Juan Capistrano, CA
African American Office of Gay Concerns, Newark, NJ
African Services Committee, New York, NY
AIDS Action Baltimore, Marlyland
AIDS Action Council, Washington, DC
AIDS Care Service, Winston-Salem, NC
AIDS Community Research Initiative of America, New York, NY
AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago, IL
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, Chicago, IL
AIDS Project of Central Iowa, Des Moines, IA
AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region, Gilsum, NH
AIDS Services of Dallas, Dallas, TX
Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House, Chicago, IL
Alliance of AIDS Services Carolin, Raleoigh, NC
Asian Human Services, Chicago, IL
Aspirations, Baton Rouge, LA
Austin CBC Initiative, Chicago, IL
Boulder County AIDS Project, Boulder, CO
Brotherhood Retreats, Culver City, CA
California Communities United Institute, Citrus Heights, CA
CANN - Community Access Nation Network, Washington, DC
Central City AIDS Network, Macon, GA
Chicago Women's AIDS Project, Chicago, IL
Children With AIDS Project of America, Tempe, AZ
Citywide Project, Atlanta, GA
CLUB VINTSY TSIDIALA, FIANANRANTSOA, MA
Coalition of HIV/AIDS Nonprofits and Governmental Entities (CHANGE), New Orleans, LA
Common Ground - the Westside HIV Community Center, Santa Monica, CA
Community Impact, Inc., Yazoo City, MS
Dab the AIDS Bear Project, Wilton Manors, FL
Delaware HIV Consortium, Wilmington, DE
Dubuque Visiting Nurse Assoc., Dubuque, Ia
E.C.H.O. Resource Center, North Little Rock, AR
Earl K long Medical Center, Baton Rouge , LA
Entre Hermanos, Seattle, WA
Fan Free Clinic, Richmond, VA
First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Fundacion Articulo II, Inc., San Juan,, PR
Good Orderly Directions, Raleigh, NC
Harm Reduction Coalition, NY, NY
Haymarket Health Education Dept., Chicago, Il
HealthHIV, Washington, DC
HEMA Universal Life Community Services, Inc, Gastonia, NC
HIV Advocacy Council of Oregon and SW Washington, Portland, OR
HIV Dental Alliance, Atlanta, GA
HIV/AIDS Services for African Americans in Alaska, Anchorage, AK
HIVictorious, Inc., Madison, WI
Holistic Care Community Advisory Board, Detroit, MI
Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, New Brunswick, NJ
International AIDS Empowerment, El Paso, Tx
International Foundation for Alternative Research in AIDS, Portland, OR
Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Kansas City, MO
Kathmandu Plus, Kathmandu, Ba
Kentucky Equality Federation, Lexington, KY
Latino Commission on AIDS, Manhattan, NY
LifeLinc, Baltimore, MD
Louisiana AIDS Advocacy Network (LAAN), New Orleans, LA
LSU-HCSD W.O. MOSS REG MED CTR, LAKE CHARLES, La
Maryland Black Family Alliance, Rockville, Ma
MCCNY Charities, New York, NY
Meriden Health Dept, Meriden, CT
Metorpolitan Latino AIDS Coalition (MLAC), Washington, DC
Metropolitan Community Church Global Justice Institute, New York, NY
Metropolitan Community Church of New York, New York, NY
Metropolitan Community Health Services, Washington, NC
Miami-dade County Health Department Office of HIV/AIDS, Miami, FL
MiamiValleyPoz4Poz, Dayton, OH
Michigan Positive Action Coalition (MI-POZ), Detroit, MI
MichRx Pharmacist Consulting Services, Inc., Dana Point, CA
Multifaith Works, Seattle, WA
Nashville CARES, Nashville, TN
National Action Network, New York, NY
NASTAD - National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, Washington, DC
ational Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), Silver Spring, MD
National Health Law Program, Los Angeles, CA
National Minority Aids Council, Baltimore, MD
National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), Washington, DC
Nebraska AIDS Project, Omaha, NE
Network of Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS, Lusaka, ZM
New Age Services, Chicago, IL
New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC
New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council (NORAPC), New Orleans, LA
NJ Association on Correction, Trenton, NJ
NO/AIDS Task Force, New Orleans, LA
North Carolina AIDS Action Network, Raleigh, NC
North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, Winston Salem, NC
Northern Colorado AIDS Project, Fort Collins, CO
Office of Health Policy and AIDS Funding, New Orleans, LA
Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, INC (OASIS), Ft. Walton Beach, FL
Pacientes de Sida pro Politica Sana, SJ, PR
Partners In Caring, Durham, NC
Partnership Project, Portland, OR
People With AIDS Coalition of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Positive East Tennesseans, knoxville, TN
Positive Support Org., Detroit, mi
Positive Women's Network-Bay area, Oakland, Ca
Project Inform, San Francisco, CA
Queer Humboldt, Fieldbrook , CA
Redemption outreach international, New York, NY
Ryan White Program Part A Charlotte TGA, Charlotte, NC
San Antonio AIDS Foundation, San Antonio, TX
Seattle HIV/AIDS Planning Council, Seattle, WA
Shanti, San Francisco, CA
SI a la vida y NO al VIH  "Rut Bogran", Houston, Te
Social Justice Consultants, LLC, Washington, DC
Sonoma County Commission on AIDS, Santa Rosa, CA
South Carolina Campaign to End AIDS (SC-C2EA), Columbia, SC
Southern NH HIV/AIDS Task Force, Nashua, NH
Southwest LA AIDS Council, Lake Charles, LA
Status C Unknown, Medford, NY
Sutter Zink LLC, Vallejo, CA
SWLA Center for Health Services, Lake Charles, LA
Taking it by force Outreach Ministry, Mobile, Al
Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN), Chicago, IL
The ACCESS Network, Inc., Ridgeland, SC
The Catalyst Foundation, Lancaster, CA
The Immunology Center, Providence, RI
The Ministry of Caring/House of Joseph II, Wilmington, DE
The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, San Francisco, CA
The River Fund (Riverfund, Inc.), Sebastian, FL
Timi Hami Ani Hamro Nepal, Kathmandu, Ba
Transexuales y Transgeneros en Marcha, San Juan, PR
Treatment Action Group, New York, NY
Treatment Action Group, Danbury, CT
Tri-County Health Coalition of Southern Indiana INC., New Albany, In
Triad Health Project, Greensboro, NC
UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Uncle Rock's Place - HIV/AIDS Surpport Service's, Lake Orion, MI
University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Md
Urban League of Greater Dallas & North Central Texas, Inc., Dallas, TX
Ursuline Sisters HIV/AIDS Ministry, Canfield, OH
Valley AIDS Information Network, Inc., Corvallis, OR
Vision Africa Regional Network- Zambia, Mansa, Z
Visual AIDS, Brooklyn, NY
Wilson Resource Center, Arnolds Park, IA
Women Together for Change, Kingshill, VI

About The Fair Pricing Coalition
The Fair Pricing Coalition is an ad hoc group of community-based activists who work on drug pricing issues with pharmaceutical companies in the field of  HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The FCP focuses on the impact of drug pricing on  patients, public and private payers, and providers. The core group meets with  and coordinates discussions over pricing with individual pharmaceutical  companies. A much larger group of AIDS and hepatitis organizations and  concerned individuals participate in the FPC through consensus statements and petitions.