Senate HELP Committee Vote Charts Right Course To Biosimilars

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
The following statement was issued by Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
President and CEO Jim Greenwood following a vote yesterday in the U.S. Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on legislation
establishing a regulatory pathway for biosimilars:

"Last night`s vote is a victory for the patients of today and tomorrow who are
living with debilitating diseases including cancer, HIV/AIDs, Parkinson`s and a
host of rare diseases. The HELP Committee has taken a critical step forward on
the path toward biosimilars. The approved language strikes the appropriate
balance among ensuring patient safety, expanding competition, reducing costs and
providing necessary and fair incentives that will provide for continued
biomedical breakthroughs.

"Yesterday`s vote is also a vote for our nation`s innovation economy.
Biotechnology helps drive more than 7.5 million high-wage, high value jobs
across the nation.

"With this vote, the HELP Committee has embraced our long held belief that a
minimum of 12 years of data exclusivity establishes a fair and reasonable period
to ensure continued biomedical innovation and provide the benefits of expanded
competition. More, the vote marks a significant defeat for those who would
shortchange future breakthroughs and the hope for cures for some of the most
devastating diseases by supporting an abbreviated period of data exclusivity.
Last night's vote combined with growing support in the House for H.R. 1548 (The
Pathway to Biosimilars Act), which now boasts 129 cosponsors, shows strong
bipartisan support for at least 12 years of exclusivity. In contrast, the
competing House bill, H.R. 1427, has attracted only 13 cosponsors.

"We thank Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Kay Hagan (D-NC) for
offering the critical amendment, and we thank the bipartisan group of senators
such as Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) who advocated
openly for the amendment. Last, we thank HELP Committee Chairman Ted Kennedy
(D-MA) for voting for the amendment, as he has always been a supporter of
biotechnology and life sciences."

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions,
state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States
and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and
development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental
biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the
world`s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with
industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

Upcoming BIO Events

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
July 19-22, 2009
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

BIO Investor Forum
October 28-29, 2009
San Francisco, CA

Advanced Business Development Course
October 30, 2009
Vienna, Austria

BIO Europe International Partnering Conference
November 2-4, 2009
Vienna, Austria

Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
November 8-11, 2009
Honolulu, HI

Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
Jeff Joseph, 202-962-9230
jjoseph@bio.org
or
Stephanie Fischer, 202-312-9263
sfischer@bio.org

www.bio.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009