AAM’s All Access Podcast lets us all learn from leaders and influential figures in health care. This series of candid, wide-ranging dialogues has given me a deeper appreciation of the dedication and brilliance of the men and women who take on the challenge of making prescription medicines more widely accessible. Only with access to prescription drugs can patients live life to their fullest potential. We very much look forward to continuing these fascinating, educational dialogues and hope you’ll tune in.
We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants
Industry veteran Bob Billings possesses an unparalleled wealth of knowledge about the entrepreneurs and advocates who fought to make generics safe, effective and trusted. Our conversation touches on Hatch-Waxman, along with major turning points such as the arrival of Medicare Part D in 2003 and the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009. Bob emphasizes the many ways that competition has animated every chapter in our industry’s history. It’s taken guts and relentless determination to bring to market many of today’s most commonly prescribed drugs.
It's not really brand versus generic. Although we have had some differences of opinion, we've had some similar opinions over the years. Our bottom line should be the same, and that's to make sure that medicines get to the people who need them. And our bottom line should be the same: That we protect innovation, but when patents and exclusivities are up, then consumers have the right to a lower-cost product. And that's the way the system was designed to work. That's the way I believe it is working. And our biggest fight has always been just give us a level playing field.
Published on January 4, 2022