Elijah Cummings

I have applauded Gilead for their research and what they have been able to accomplish.

We want to understand why the price is so high, and we are trying to understand how we can get the 90 percent of people who need this lifesaving medication, how we can get it to them.

I think the committee on both sides have asked reasonable questions.

I think you testified that your company earned $36 billion in revenue, and you are telling me that at that rate of revenue, we just wouldn't have PrEP at all?

I want to thank you for your leadership.

For $333 a month, a 22-year-old college graduate died.

Think about this: We now have a drug that has the potential to end the HIV epidemic.

I want to recognize the efforts of our distinguished colleague, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez.

Today, we are examining the price of a drug called Truvada.

HIV prevention should not be a profit-driven enterprise.

We want to be effective and efficient. Is there any agency that can identify who these people are that need this treatment?

We do know that HIV is increasing because young gays, particularly in my district, are feeling immortal now.

I have heard a lot of talk here this morning about how people are beaten up--it is not about beating up. It is about being thankful that we have a medication that can do just about everything but finally cure it, AIDS, and wanting it to…

I am trying to figure out who is going to cover the African-American communities and whether when you all make those decisions, you know, about distribution, where does that go?

I can't resist asking you a question, Mr. O'Day. Instead of the donations you are offering, even some of the reductions, why not simply lower the price of PrEP?

I am interested in PrEP because it is of course the cornerstone of the administration's HIV plan.

Nobody is coming here to beat you up. I want to make that clear.

So that cuts into your profit. Is that what you are saying?

They know the cure is out there. They know there is something out there called Truvada.

I want to work, we all want to work with the industry, but it is kind of hard.

I have no problem with you all making a profit. I want you to make a profit.

We were trying to solve a gap that isn't currently covered by our current access programs.

In order to do that, we have to continue to invest in research for the patent life of our medicines.

One of my first employees died from AIDS, and I will never forget it.

At the end of the day, it is the taxpayers who bear the cost of these skyrocketing prices through government programs like Medicaid.