AAM Statement on the Introduction of the Protecting Access to Affordable Medicines Act of 2020

WASHINGTON, DC (October 7, 2020) — The Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) applauds U.S. House of Representatives members G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), Billy Long (R-MO) and Tony Cardenas (D-CA) for protecting patient access to affordable medicines by introducing bipartisan legislation to fix the misguided Medicaid penalty against affordable generics. The Medicaid Generics Penalty, as imposed today, increases the risk of shortages and threatens the long-term sustainability of the generics market. The Protecting Access to Affordable Medicines Act is a common-sense solution to address the unintended consequences of the penalty. On behalf of America’s patients who rely on generic medicines to contain costs, from the millions who treat chronic health conditions to those being prescribed generics as a proven therapy for COVID-related challenges, we urge House members to cosponsor this bill to protect low-cost generic medicines.

Attribution: Dan Leonard, President and CEO, AAM

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Schwartz
202.249.7147 

About AAM

AAM is driven by the belief that access to safe, quality, effective medicine has a tremendous impact on a person’s life and the world around them. Generic and biosimilar medicines improve people’s lives, improving society and the economy in turn. AAM represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, manufacturers and distributors of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic industry. Generic pharmaceuticals are 90 percent of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but only 20 percent of total drug spending. 

About the Biosimilars Council

The Biosimilars Council, a division of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), works to ensure a positive environment for patient access to biosimilar medicines. The Biosimilars Council is a leading source for information about the safety and efficacy of more affordable alternatives to costly brand biologic medicines. Areas of focus include public and health expert education, strategic partnerships, government affairs, legal affairs and regulatory policy. More information is available at www.biosimilarscouncil.org.