EGA Press Release

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

“STAKES ARE HIGHER THAN EVER FOR THE IMMEDIATE THREE YEARS AHEAD” SAYS DIDIER BARRET NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT
OF THE EUROPEAN GENERIC MEDICINES ASSOCIATION (EGA)

The European Generic medicines Association (EGA) welcomes Didier Barret as its new President, unanimously elected by the EGA Board of Directors today in Brussels. Didier Barret, currently President Europe Middle East and Africa of Mylan, succeeds Eric Gorka, Sandoz Head Cluster Netherlands / Nordics for a two-year mandate at the head of the association.

In his acceptance speech, the new President highlighted the crucial importance of “maximising the benefits linked to generics introduction in the coming years. Every day lost will account for a loss of opportunity for better access to medicines for patients, healthcare systems efficiency and industry sustainability across Europe”.

Within the next three years, products going out of patent will reach a peak, both in number and value. In addition, biosimilar medicines will be confirmed as a new field for development. “If all conditions are met to allow generic and biosimilar medicines timely and fair access to the markets as put forward by the EC recommendations following the pharmaceutical sector inquiry, the potential is there to reshape the European healthcare landscape, be it in terms of patient access to medicines or savings for the healthcare systems” says Barret.

Looking at legislative challenges ahead such as the pharmaceutical package, Didier Barret called for pursuing cooperation with the relevant authorities and stakeholders. “With a new Parliament in place and soon a new Commission, it is now crucial to seize this opportunity to get the EU system right for the sake of all”.

“Creating the conditions for a sustainable and competitive generics industry in the European market” will be the main priority of his presidency, with a special focus on:
• Promoting sustainable generic medicines pricing systems;
• Granting automatic pricing and reimbursement status for generic medicines upon market authorisation while avoiding post-patent delays;
• Enforcing clear criteria for innovation, defined as synonymous with added relative therapeutic efficacy or safety, to eliminate evergreening practices;
• Fostering mechanisms to promote generics prescribing by physicians and generics dispensing by pharmacists;
• Creating the appropriate EU regulatory environment for generic and biosimilar medicines;
• Continuing cooperation with the European Patent Office in raising the bar on patent applications.

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For further information contact Julie Chauvet
Tel: +32 (0)2 736 84 11