WASHINGTON, July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Biosimilars Council, a division of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) that works to educate patients and health professionals and to ensure a positive regulatory and policy environment for patient access to biosimilar medicines, today announced the election of the first Chairman of its Board of Directors.
Dr. Bertrand C. Liang, Chief Executive Officer, Pfenex Inc., will be the inaugural Biosimilars Council Chairman. The other leadership roles are Vice Chairman John Pakulski, Executive Director and Head U.S. Biopharmaceutical Affairs, Sandoz, and Treasurer Bruce Lott, Vice President of State Government Relations and Global Biologics Policy, Mylan Inc.
“I am extremely excited to lead the Biosimilars Council efforts to collaborate with patients, health professionals, regulatory agencies and elected officials in order to ensure a positive environment for these promising medicines,” said Liang. “Biosimilars are poised to play a critical role in our nation’s health system providing patients with safe, effective, more affordable alternatives to costly brand biologic therapies. As the Food and Drug Administration moves forward with its review of biosimilars applications, it is more important now than ever to establish an effective legal and regulatory foundation and ensure that patients and professionals are educated about these medicines. I look forward to working closely with the FDA and other agencies to create a pathway that encourages adoption of these life-impacting drugs.”
The potential savings from biosimilars is great, according to experts cited in The Next Frontier for Access to Medicines: Biosimilars and Interchangeable Biologics, an educational handbook offered by the Biosimilars Council. Estimates from various economic impact studies pin the projected savings from $44 billion on the low end to as high as $250 billion over the first 10 years that only 11 of the most likely biosimilars are available to patients.
“GPhA and its Biosimilars Council remain focused on preserving and promoting access and savings from more affordable medicines,” said Ralph G. Neas, President and CEO, GPhA. “The Biosimilars Council is an unrivaled resource for anyone seeking to navigate this emerging industry, build relationships and be directly involved in formative regulatory, reimbursement, political, and policy conversations.”
The Biosimilars Council Board of Directors includes representatives from the following member companies:
Amneal BioSciences, LLC
ApoBiologix
Biocon
Dr. Reddy’s
Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Mylan Inc.
Pfenex Inc.
Sandoz
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA
Therapeutic Proteins International
Zydus Pharmaceuticals
About the Biosimilars Council
The Biosimilars Council works to ensure a positive regulatory, reimbursement, political and policy environment for patient access to biosimilar medicines, and will educate the public and patients about the safety and effectiveness of biosimilars. Areas of focus will include education, access, the nascent regulatory environment, reimbursement and legal affairs. Additional information is available at www.biosimilarscouncil.org.
About GPhA
GPhA represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals, manufacturers and distributors of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic industry. Generic pharmaceuticals fill 86 percent of the prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but consume just 27 percent of the total drug spending. Additional information is available at gphaonline.org. Follow us on twitter: @gpha.
Contact: Steve Arnoff, 202.249.7113
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SOURCE The Biosimilars Council
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