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Federal Court Decision on Extended Monopolies for Big Pharma will Cost Canadians More than $100 Million Per Year

Toronto, July 22, 2009 – The following is a statement by Jim Keon, President of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA), regarding the July 17, 2009 decision of the Federal Court of Canada regarding extended market monopolies for Big Pharma.

“The Federal Court decision means that, for now, brand drug companies will continue to have monopoly rules that go beyond Canada’s international trade obligations and beyond similar provisions in the United States.

It also means that Canadians will continue to pay an additional $100 million per year in additional monopoly drug prices.

Every person in Canada who does not work for a brand-name drug company and who pays for prescription medicines should be disappointed in this decision.

The CGPA is currently reviewing the decision in order to determine if an appeal will be launched.

The federal government has increased monopolies for brand-name drug companies no fewer than eight times since 1987, including changes in 2006 and 2008. Despite this, for seven consecutive years Big Pharma has failed to meet the commitment it made to Canadians in 1987 to reinvest a minimum of 10 percent of Canadian sales revenue on domestic research and development.

The latest annual report of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) shows that pharmaceutical patentees spent only 8.3 per cent of their revenues on research and development, and spent only 2 per cent of their Canadian sales revenue on basic research.

The PMPRB annual report also found that patented drug prices in Canada were higher than in every comparator country except the United States.”

For more information, please contact:

Jeff Connell
Director of Public Affairs
Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA)
Tel: (416) 223-2333
Email: jeff@canadiangenerics.ca
Website: www.canadiangenerics.ca

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	Federal Court Decision on Extended Monopolies for Big Pharma will Cost Canadians More than $100 Million Per Year
	Federal Court Decision on Extended Monopolies for Big Pharma will Cost Canadians More than $100 Million Per Year