PCMA on Biogenerics Legislation: A Bellwether for Broader Health Reform Prospects

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President and CEO Mark Merritt
issued the following statement in advance of tomorrow`s U.S. Senate Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee`s mark-up on the remaining
provisions and amendments, including biologics:

"The Senate HELP Committee can resolve one of the easier components of health
reform: subjecting expensive biologics to generic competition after their
patents expire. Biogenerics legislation would save taxpayers and consumers
billions of dollars and offer patients affordable access to the fastest growing
segment of medications today.

"Real biogenerics legislation is strongly supported by AARP, AFL-CIO, Ford Motor
Company, General Motors, PCMA and dozens of other consumer, labor and employer
organizations which are concerned about runaway health care costs in both the
private and public sectors. The White House agrees and states that offering
seven additional years of `market exclusivity` (after patents expire) to the
handful of companies who make biologics would be `generous.` Meanwhile, the
Federal Trade Commission recently issued a report stating that current patent
laws are, in and of themselves, sufficient to protect incentives for biologics
innovation.

"Yet many Democrats and Republicans in Congress continue backing proposals which
would allow biologics manufacturers to use monopoly pricing for a decade or even
longer after their patents expire.

"Because it has such broad support and is one of the few proposals that actually
delivers score-able savings, biogenerics is the low-hanging fruit of health
reform and a good bellwether for its prospects overall. If Congress can`t
deliver real biogenerics reform now, the prospects for reforming the entire
health care system are dim."

PCMA represents the nation`s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which improve
affordability and
quality of care through the use of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing),
generic alternatives, mail-service pharmacies, and other
innovative tools for 200-plus million Americans.

Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA)
Charles Coté, 202-207-3605

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