WASHINGTON, D.C. (Friday, March 14, 2008) - Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood released the following statement today regarding legislation introduced yesterday by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) that would develop a regulatory pathway for approving follow-on biologics:
"BIO commends U.S. Representatives Anna Eshoo and Joe Barton for taking a strong, bipartisan step forward toward developing a pathway for the approval of follow-on biologics – products that seek to imitate pioneering biotechnology medicines. The bill introduced yesterday includes essential elements to ensure that any such pathway follows two critical principles: namely, protecting patient safety and ensuring continued innovation.
"Importantly, the bill recognizes the need to protect patient safety by calling for a set of studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the follow-on product, including clinical and immunogenicity studies.
“The proposal also establishes a mechanism for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to advise whether it is feasible, based on current science, to make a determination that a follow-on product is interchangeable with the pioneering biotech therapy. While this provision improves upon previous legislative proposals, we continue to believe that patients should not be given follow-on biologics unless expressly prescribed by a physician.
"The legislation further seeks to provide pioneering biotechnology companies with a level of non-patent data exclusivity to promote continued innovation, although it falls short of the base 14 years that has been demonstrated to be the needed period required to strike the right balance between providing incentives for innovation and follow-on product entry. Non-patent exclusivity is necessary to maintain effective market protection to attract the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to research and develop an innovative new biotech therapy or technology.
"Some special interests publicly say they want to delay follow-ons legislation until next year or beyond. We urge Congress to pass the right bill as soon as possible. It is time all parties work together to place patient needs before political gamesmanship. The time is now to pass a pro-patient, pro-innovation, pro-science follow-on biologics bill."
"We thank Representatives Eshoo and Barton for their leadership and for underscoring the importance of a bipartisan approach toward developing a follow-ons pathway. We pledge to continue to work with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, under the leadership of Chairman Dingell, and all members of Congress to finalize and pass a balanced, bipartisan follow-on biologics bill as soon as possible."
· BIO-Europe Spring
April 7-9, 2008
Madrid, Spain
· BIO National Venture Conference
April 22-23, 2008
Boston, Mass.
· World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
April 27-30, 2008
Chicago, Ill.
· 2008 BIO International Convention
June 17-20, 2008
San Diego, Calif.
About BIO
BIO represents more than 1,150 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology technologies. BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.
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