WASHINGTON, DC (April 3, 2019) – The Association for Accessible Medicines welcomes today’s unanimous 51-0 passage of the CREATES Act by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. We commend the leadership of Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), Health Subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Burgess (R-TX) who forged strong bipartisan support for this bill, which helps enhance patient access to affordable generic and biosimilar medicines. Special recognition should be given to Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and David McKinley (R-WV) who have tirelessly championed this legislation for years because it will help ease the burdens of patients paying for high-priced prescription medicines whose manufacturers have gamed the system to keep competitors off the market. Today’s vote is an important step along the path to providing patients with relief from high drug prices. We look forward to the House Judiciary Committee’s prompt consideration of the CREATES Act – where it enjoys strong bipartisan support – and its subsequent passage by the House of Representatives.
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 23 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.