The National Health Council Supports Generic Drugs as a Way to Reduce Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON, DC (April 27, 2017) – The Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) today applauded the National Health Council (NHC) for supporting polices to reduce patient health care costs and increase patient access to affordable medicines by expediting the approval of generic applications and stopping brand drug companies from abusing REMS programs.
NHC released policy proposals designed to reduce health care costs for the more than 133 million Americans with chronic diseases and disabilities. NHC’s new report can be viewed here.
“There’s a general consensus in the health care community that tearing down the barriers to affordable generic drugs will reduce costs for patients,” said Chester “Chip” Davis, Jr., President and CEO of AAM. “There is clearly momentum building for smart reform that unleashes the full potential of generic drugs and biosimilars.” Davis joined NHC’s Board of Directors in 2017, serving alongside the nation’s leading patient advocacy organizations, professional and membership associations, nonprofit organizations, and representatives from the pharmaceutical, generic drug, health insurance, medical device, and biotechnology industries. NHC’s endorsement of more generic competition comes as legislation that would stop REMS abuse gains bipartisan support. Across the health care spectrum, stakeholders, Members of Congress, and current and former government officials are calling for the end of tactics that deny patients access to affordable generic alternatives. Find out “What They Are Saying” here.
AAM and its Biosimilars Council also recently joined a diverse coalition of stakeholders in support of the FAST Generics Act of 2017, another bill that would address the problem of REMS abuse.
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 89 percent of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but only 27 percent of total drug spending. Additional information is available at www.accessiblemeds.org.
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.
CONTACT:
Rachel Schwartz
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202.251.8881 (c)