GPhA calls Congressional biosimilar bill ‘disappointing’

ARLINGTON, Va. In response to the introduction of a House of Representatives bill, titled Pathway to Biosimilars Act (H.R. 5629), Generic Pharmaceutical Association president and chief executive officer Kathleen Jaeger issued a statement calling the bill “disappointing.”

According to Jaeger, “The Pathway for Biosimilars Act is a pathway to the wrong destination for patients in need of safe and affordable biogenerics. This new bill, at best, is a disappointing distraction that does nothing to advance legislation. At worst, it's a step backward that puts brand company profits before patient needs. For a pathway to work, it must ensure patient access. Unfortunately, this new proposal creates a pathway filled with needless roadblocks to access.”

The bill was introduced by Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Joe Barton, R-Texas, and includes such “barriers” as 14.5 years of market exclusivity for biotech companies beyond the years companies already have under their existing patents.

The GPhA is still asking for Congress to put the need of patients first and not biotech companies. The association stated that biogenerics would bring cheaper more affordable care to patients and would be just as safe as their brand counterparts. It also continues to ask the government to support bipartisan legislation sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman, Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo, and Frank Pallone, D-N.J., calling for biogenerics.