SENATOR TIM JOHNSON CALLS FOR INCREASED ACCESS TO GENERIC PHARMACEUTICALS, NO PATENT EXTENSIONS FOR BRAND NAME DRUGS

For Immediate Release:

Washington, DC, June 28, 2000 - In testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) called for greater access to generic pharmaceuticals and an end to patent extensions for brand name drugs. He addressed the committee at a hearing on prescription drug safety and pricing on June 13.

"I would encourage the Committee as it considers drug prices to not only oppose efforts to prevent Americans access to generic prescription drugs, but to work toward increasing consumers' ability to choose and use generic prescriptions. The Committee should take a firm position against extending patents, either directly or through a biased process for authorizing patent extensions," he said.

"The pharmaceutical industry presents many economic and proprietary rationales for price disparities. From price controls to R&D to currency exchange rates, arguments are made that the prices garnered by some pharmaceutical companies are justified in a world where price is a measure of willingness to pay and price elasticity, not compassion or empathy," said Senator Johnson. "...Personally, I can think of nothing more pernicious than charging seniors prices for prescription medications that cost far more than the majority of seniors are able to pay without sacrificing one or more basic needs in their lives."

Senator Johnson is an outspoken proponent of increasing access to affordable drugs and is a co-sponsor of three bills to reduce drug prices, including the International Prescription Drug Parity Act of 1999 (S. 1191), the Prescription Drug Fairness For Senior Act (S. 731) and the Generic Pharmaceutical Access and Choice For Consumers Act (S. 2501).

"While Congress debates the prospect of creating an overall Medicare benefit to provide prescription drug coverage, I believe that allowing the safe reimportation of FDA-approved prescription drugs, increasing access to generic prescription drugs and ending the price discrimination against Medicare beneficiaries and all American consumers is an immediate step towards achieving our desired goal of access to lower-priced prescription drugs," the Senator testified.

Robert S. Milanese, President of the National Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, lauded Senator Johnson for his leadership on an issue that is critical to every American: "Few issues impact as many people as basic access to affordable drugs. We encourage other lawmakers to follow Senator Johnson's example in making it a priority to talk with their constituents about drug pricing and how it affects their healthcare and the quality of their lives."

NAPM is an independent trade organization representing U.S. generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and their suppliers. NAPM's first priority is a total commitment to providing safe, effective, affordable drugs to U.S. consumers. NAPM is dedicated to protecting and expanding a thriving, freely competitive pharmaceutical marketplace in which consumers can benefit from high-quality, low-cost alternatives to brand name drugs.

For more information about affordable pharmaceuticals, visit NAPM online at www.napmnet.org.

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Contact:
Julie Gross Gelfand
HLM&S PR
Jgelfand@hlms-net.org
1-888-571-2500 or (516) 536-2020

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For more information about NAPM and generic drugs, contact Robert S. Milanese or Leon Shargel at NAPM, (631) 580-4252.

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