Cancer patient nearly went broke paying for Hugin cancer drug in new Menendez ad

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today released a new TV ad that features a South Jersey cancer patient who says he nearly lost his home to pay for a life-saving drug sold by Republican Bob Hugin’s pharmaceutical company.

Mark Wilson, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Teamster who worked as a truck driver, was prescribed Revlimid after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma.  Hugin increased the price of the drug by over 200% while serving as CEO of Celgene, including three price increases last year, according to a report issued by Patients for Affordable Drugs Action, a super PAC  that opposes Hugin’s election to the U.S. Senate.

“The high cost of prescription drugs is crippling patients and forcing families to make difficult financial choices to stay alive.  Mark Wilson is just one of them,” said Steve Sandberg, a campaign spokesman.  “Bob Hugin cold-heartedly and callously took advantage of the sick and most vulnerable to get rich.  Bob Hugin should apologize to each and every cancer patient and family he put in financial ruin just so they could stay alive.”

The script: “Now when medication becomes, the cost of medication becomes the issue of whether you live or die, it’s really a sad thing.   I called my girls in, because I told them, you know, I didn’t want to go on living anymore and it was really a decision that… it’s hard to make. It’s, it’s scary yet, reality.”