Who are the GPhA and what do they do?

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Who are the GPhA and what do they do?

Generics/General | Posted 10/12/2010 0 Post your comment

The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) is a group that represents the interests of generic drug manufacturers in the US. To achieve this they pursue an active lobbying policy. They are currently in talks with the FDA to improve the process by which it approves generic medicines. Generic pharmaceuticals account for 75% of the prescriptions dispensed in the US but consume just 22% of the total drug spending.

Despite the present search for affordable health care in the US, not all the lobbying is successful. The group is at the moment scaling down its efforts after having spent large sums trying to influence Congress about the recent healthcare reform, probably over US$2 million (Euros 1.5 million) in 2009. The main effect this had was to reduce the patent protection on biologicals from 14 years, campaigned for by originator firms, to 12 years.

The association is, however, not without controversy, as several former members of the GPhA left the group in June 2010 and formed the Generic Drug User Fee Coalition. This includes Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which is a major blow to the association, as Teva accounted for 16.3% of all US prescriptions in 2009. The others include Apotex, Hospira, and Perrigo Laboratories.

In September 2010 the GPhA joined the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) which works to help ensure a secure, global prescription drug supply chain and protect patients and consumers against counterfeit medications. Working with its partners, PSM endorses and sponsors policies, procedures and programmes to protect consumers from counterfeit or contraband medicines. Efforts include public education initiatives to inform consumers and professionals.

Source: gphaonline.org, The Wall Street Journal, Pharmalot.