Statement: SFS Endorses the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act

February 2, 2024 - The nonpartisan patient advocacy group, Survivors for Solutions, founded by John “CZ” Czwartacki, an MS patient of 30 years, provided a statement supporting the recently proposed Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act.

 “The IRA’s drug pricing policies swirled around unscientific whims that put cost-savings before medical discovery, downplaying patients’ hope and reliance on treatment innovation and breakthroughs. However, the introduction of the EPIC Act signals a renewed bipartisan commitment in Congress to protect patients’ cures and treatments and is an important first step in fixing the IRA’s many ill-advised drug policies.

More specifically, the bill would protect small molecule drugs from Washington bureaucrats who want to shorten the patent protection period necessary to incentivize their innovation. Small molecule drugs are especially critical for patients fighting cancer or rare illnesses that often don’t have any other option to fight their aggressive diseases. Risking their development was cruel and one of the worst ingredients in the IRA’s innovation poison pill. The EPIC Act sounds the horn that some sense of reason may be returning to Congress. It's a great first step, but there’s much work to be done.”