Coalition for Competitive Pharmaceutical Market urges U.S.
Senate to reject drug monopolies…Higher prescription
drug costs foreseen for Medicare, Medicaid and Private Plans If
measure becomes law…Coalition supports Biodefense Preparedness,
opposes monopoly protections for brand-name drug manufacturers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/
-- The Coalition for a Competitive Pharmaceutical Market (CCPM)
today called on the U.S. Senate to reject provisions included in
Biodefense legislation that would extend drug monopolies for
brand-name drug manufacturers, warning that the provision will
dramatically increase prescription drug costs in the Medicare
and Medicaid programs as well as for consumers in private plans.
As part of this announcement, CCPM released a copy of a letter
it has sent to every Member of the U.S. Senate and announced a
new round of advertising to increase awareness about the harmful
consequences of the market exclusivity provision.
The Coalition for a
Competitive Pharmaceutical Market is an unusually broad-based
coalition comprising organizations representing the nation's
employers, health insurers, chain drugstores, generic drug
makers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
"CCPM urges the U.S. Senate to
reject the market exclusivity provisions because they would
unnecessarily drive up prescription drug costs for private and
public payers without advancing our nation's bioterrorism
preparedness," said CCPM Chairman Annette Guarisco. "CCPM
continues to support real solutions to biodefense preparedness,
including tools to minimize product liability, tax credits for
research and manufacturing facilities, guaranteed purchasing,
and government funding to accelerate and support the research
and development of novel countermeasures."
The drug monopoly extensions
are included in, S. 1873 the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and
Drug Development Act of 2005, which was approved by the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee earlier this
week and could be considered by the full Senate as early as next
week. The measure would broaden the definition of products
eligible to be used as countermeasures in a way that could grant
existing everyday medicines - rather than novel products related
to the fight against bioterrorism - multiple years of additional
market exclusivity.
"For private and public
purchasers seeking to provide consumers with therapeutically
equivalent, but more cost-effective generic drugs, the market
exclusivity provision included in the Biodefense bill takes us
in exactly the wrong direction," said Mark Rubino, Chief
Pharmacy Officer, Aetna Inc., a CCPM member.
"This drug monopoly extension
proposal is a sweeping and unprecedented measure that would
rewrite drug-patent law and force working families, the
disabled, and seniors to pay more for their prescription drugs,"
said Mark Merritt, President of the Pharmaceutical Care
Management Association (PCMA), the national association
representing pharmacy benefit managers and a CCPM member.
"Perhaps most troubling of all, this measure has moved forward
without any regard to the cost impact it would have on Medicare,
Medicaid, and private payers. America's working families,
seniors, and small businesses deserve better."
The Coalition for a
Competitive Pharmaceutical Market is an organization of
employers, insurers, generic drug manufacturers and others
committed to improving consumer access to affordable
pharmaceuticals and promoting a vigorous, competitive
prescription drug market. CCPM supports public policies that
facilitate timely access to affordable pharmaceuticals. Visit
http://www.competitiverx.com/ for more information and a
list of CCPM members.
Contact: Katie Braden Huffard,
202-255-5216
Andrea Hofelich, 703-647-2495;
Phil Blando, 202-207-3614
Source: The Coalition for a
Competitive Pharmaceutical Market