AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
A trade deal with the European Union could make it harder to buy generic drugs, the association representing their manufacturers said Thursday.
The generic and name brand pharmaceutical industries duked it out over what's best for consumers, as MPs on the House Trade committee look at the possible impact of trade talks with the EU.
While the details of the talks aren't public, the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association says European negotiators want to extend protection for brand-name drugs to help companies headquartered in Europe. The proposed measures could extend market exclusivity by 3½ years and cost Canadians an extra $2.8 billion a year in prescription drugs, the association's chairman said.
"These EU proposals also fail to recognize that Canada is already home to one of the strongest [intellectual property] regimes for pharmaceuticals in the world," Barry Fishman said.
The EU isn't making the demands to increase research and development funding in Canada, he added.
"They are making these proposals to increase the profits of pharma companies," Fishman said.
Extending protection could limit Canadian generic exports to the U.S. and Europe and lead to cuts in manufacturing jobs, he said. And previous increases in patent and exclusivity protection haven't led to more research and development funding, Fishman said.
But the brand name pharmaceutical companies invest about $1.3 billion a year in research, the president of the association representing the companies told MPs.
"Canada lags behind both the EU and the U.S. in terms of pharmaceutical IP. Those are the facts. We are not competitive," said Russell Williams, head of Rx&D.
Williams says the industry wants data protection increased to eight to 10 years. Ten years is the protection the EU provides its companies.
"The IP gap ... is the most pressing policy challenge for our industry," when they're competing for research centres within companies, said Brigitte Nolet, who spoke for Hoffman Roche, one of the companies Rx&D represents.
"Other nations, developed and developing, can also boast of their business climates and top-flight scientific talents," she said.
"With improved IP, our entire industry would have the tools to help maintain and draw even more opportunities."
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