CETA with EU would wipe out Canada's drug savings, says generic drugmakers, but Rx& D sees benefits

The European Union is in negotiations for a comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) with Canada. The last round of negotiations took place in Ottawa in April 2011 and the next round is expected to take place in Brussels in July.

Ahead of that meeting, Jim Keon, president of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA), said changes to Canada’s drug patent system proposed by the EU would wipe out the savings from Ontario government’s drug reforms, on the one-year anniversary of Ontario’s drug system changes.

“The savings achieved for both public and private drug plans through the Ontario government’s 2010 reforms would be wiped out if the EU’s proposals are implemented,” said Mr Keon, adding that “Canada’s generic pharmaceutical manufacturers worked cooperatively with the Ontario government to implement last year’s reforms. Those savings were supposed to help preserve and enhance Ontario’s health-care system, not increase profits for brand-name drug companies based in Europe.”