American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following statement today following disclosure by Sanofi and Regeneron that the companies are making commitments to expand access to lifesaving medicine.

“Last week, the American Heart Association convened forty global health-care leaders in Washington, DC, and challenged the group to make meaningful commitments to improving access to health care.

We believe that ensuring patients have affordable access to the care they need is a moral obligation, and we are heartened by Sanofi and Regeneron's substantial commitment to reduce the costs of their proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor as part of this larger effort to shift the focus to the value of treatment and not simply its costs.

As a catalyst for meaningful change, the American Heart Association is committed to continuing its leadership in this conversation—by convening, encouraging, and supporting progressive steps and by encouraging all others to similarly step forward with new and innovative solutions to improve patient care.”