USMCA Sets a New Standard for Lowering Drug Prices and Expanding Access to Medicines

WASHINGTON DC (December 19, 2019) – “The Association for Accessible Medicines applauds the House of Representatives’ overwhelming bipartisan passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The vote was 385 to 41.

By including provisions that promote generic and biosimilar competition, patients in all three countries will benefit from a market where generic and biosimilar medicines can compete fairly and openly, contributing to lower health care costs and expanding access to medicines. The USMCA sets a new standard for how trade agreements and trade policy can sustain the growth of the entire pharmaceutical industry and establishes a new template for pharmaceutical intellectual property in trade agreements.

AAM encourages the United States Senate to quickly pass this important agreement.”

ATTRIBUTE TO: Chip Davis, President and CEO

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 22 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.