GPhA calls on US Congress to boost generics

The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA), the US generic drugmakers' body, has called on the newly-elected Democratic majority in Congress to "address escalating health care costs and increase consumer access to affordable medicines" by a package of legislative and regulatory measures.

Kathleen Jaeger, the GPhA's president, described the new majority as having "a real opportunity to improve the health care of Americans by increasing access to safe, effective and affordable generic medicines."

She added: "key to achieving this goal is passage of biogenerics legislation. The Food and Drug Administration should exercise its responsibility to create an abbreviated approval pathway for biogenerics and not keep consumers waiting for affordable medicines."