Statement by Ralph G. Neas, President and CEO, GPhA, Regarding 21st Century Cures

PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC (May 21, 2015) -

GPhA commends House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Rep. Diana DeGette, Health Subcommittee Chair Joe Pitts, and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Gene Green for their bipartisan leadership around fostering the development of new cures while recognizing the balance between pharmaceutical competition and innovation.

GPhA and its members look forward to continuing to work with the Committee and stakeholders on the 21st Century Cures initiative to ensure and protect that balance. This is a bipartisan achievement that should enhance the drug approval process and significantly boost critical research and development efforts. GPhA is especially pleased to see the exemption of future industry supported FDA user fees from sequestration.

As this initiative moves forward, GPhA will continue working toward the inclusion of policy that limits the misuse of Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), a mechanism designed for patient safety that some companies use to delay generic competition.

GPhA applauds the Committee for its longstanding commitment to increasing patient access and lowering health costs. We look forward to continued progress on this collaborative effort.