Bitter pill

Bay Area seniors take aim at drug companies

By Cassi Feldman

More than 50 seniors hit the streets May 21 to protest the high cost of prescription drugs. Marching with signs that read "Drug Monopolies Kill Seniors" and "Nexium: the Next Way to Rob You," the seniors timed their rally to coincide with a medical convention being held at the Moscone Center.

At one point they implored the doctors to discard tote bags from London-based AstraZeneca, maker of Prilosec and Nexium, popular drugs used to treat heartburn and ulcers. "Throw out your purple bags," they chanted.

But the doctors seemed relatively unfazed. "I think they're misguided," one attendee who declined to be named said. "Why are they picking on Nexium?"

Obviously, he hasn't been reading the paper. Although the 20-year patent on Prilosec's chemical content expired in October, AstraZeneca has sued to block companies from producing low-cost generic versions by arguing that its special delivery technique (a three-layer-pill) is still protected. A federal judge in New York is expected to rule on the case within weeks.

Time is money in cases like these, particularly since a federal law gives inventors an automatic 30-month extension if they file a lawsuit. On March 25 the Washington Post reported that even a one-year extension for top-selling Prilosec could cost state Medicaid programs $300 million. In the meantime, the company has more time to market its new drug, Nexium, which is similar to Prilosec but under patent until 2015.

AstraZeneca did not respond to Bay Guardian questions by press time.

The seniors we spoke with don't dispute the idea that patents are necessary as a way to fund research and development. But, they say, the drug companies are taking advantage. "It's just another instance where the bottom line, which is profit, is more important than the good of the patients," said Margot Smith, a 71-year-old Berkeley Gray Panther.

The seniors aren't just angry at AstraZeneca. At a town hall meeting just before the protest they also slammed doctors who favor brand-name drugs and pharmacists who overcharge. To address those concerns, San Francisco's Senior Action Network, an umbrella organization made up of 150 local groups, is launching a peer-education campaign to encourage seniors to demand generics.