[Ip-health] ACT TODAY to ensure affordable access to biologic medicines

[Ethan Guillen]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
       *Universities Allied for Essential
Medicines*<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CDsPM1hx4TBfZNgTEIK7CAgqnqFXeT26>
and
the *American Medical Student Association*

Dear Friends,

Over the last decade, generic medicines have saved Americans over $700
billion. However, for a rapidly growing class of drugs called biologics,
there is no regulatory pathway for generics, so patients are often faced
with high priced biologics (which can be $50,000 or more) and no end in
sight.  Pharma is pushing a fake generic biologics proposal that would
actually keep most generic biologics from coming on the market, depriving
patients of huge savings.

*You can help fix this problem now* by visiting
www.AffordableMedsNow.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Xhf1HKdqyf9hqnwmfS%2BKyAgqnqFXeT26>.


Background:

Biologic drugs are increasingly important and are expected to make up 50% of
new drug approvals by 2014. We favor legislation that lowers prices by
enabling generic biologic drugs. Unfortunately, the mechanism built into
Senate and House versions of health care reform threatens to effectively
block generic competition by granting 12 years of monopoly protection (other
medicines get ONLY 5 YEARS!) in addition to the patent protection that
biologic drugs already receive. In addition, companies can tweak their drugs
(by changing doses or combining them with other drugs) and extend this
protection for another 12 years... over and over again.  That's another
additional 12 years of high prices that they can turn into a perpetual
monopoly. Not only is this bill expected to block savings the cost of health
care by an estimated $71 billion over the next 10 years, but the Federal
Trade Commission has said that this protection is likely to hurt innovation
of new medicines to address unmet medical needs.

*There is an alternative*. Representative Waxman has propose a generic
biologics bill that grants the same amount of protection given to
traditional drugs, 5 years, and prevents abusive practices that allow
companies to extend that protection indefinitely. These provisions can be
added to health care reform bills, but *we need your help*.

The first way you can help is by sharing this with your friends. Then, visit
our website at www.AffordableMedsNow.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2ITITxjIiSCBtSNbK%2FPbLwgqnqFXeT26>,
where we have an informative video (4 minutes long) that describes the
problem, as well as additional information about the campaign and ways to
make a difference.

The timeline is short, but the impact of this legislation, and thus the
impact of your voice, will be felt for decades to come. Speak up and tell
your representatives that you want *Affordable Biologics Now!*

-    American Medical Students Association and Universities Allied for
Essential Medicines

www.AffordableMedsNow.org<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DzWJJtB4x%2BVoiN3NA55vvwgqnqFXeT26>
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--
Ethan Guillen
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines
2625 Alcatraz Ave. #180
Berkeley, CA 94705
www.essentialmedicine.org