CSRxP: Congress Must Amend USMCA to Protect American Patients

Current Trade Agreement Could Hamper Generic and Biosimilar Competition

Washington, D.C. – The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) sent a letter to members of Congress today detailing concerns with the proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and asking lawmakers to address those concerns to protect American patients.

“CSRxP believes that trade agreements are important tools to drive economic growth and support the development of the U.S. health care sector,” the letter, written by CSRxP executive director Lauren Aronson, said. “Successful agreements include provisions that alleviate market access barriers, spur competition, incentivize innovation, provide added benefits for patients and drive down costs.”

“Unfortunately, USMCA falls short on this issue of critical importance for the American people,” Aronson continued.

The concerns outlined by CSRxP include provisions related to biologic exclusivity, the definition of a biologic and the scope of drug exclusivities – provisions in the draft agreement that could hamper generic and biosimilar competition.

“Congress has a tremendous opportunity to ensure the USMCA aligns with the goals set out in the Bipartisan Trade Priorities Act of 2015, which included a commitment to patient access to more-affordable generic and biosimilar medicines both in the United States and abroad,” Aronson wrote. “We strongly encourage Members of Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to see the USMCA amended to protect American patients by addressing these concerns.”

The full CSRxP letter can be found HERE.