Europe's copy-drugmakers launch academic Chair for generics policy

Last week saw the rector of Belgium's Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Mark Waer, inaugurate the Chair of 'European policy towards generic medicines,' which is funded by the European Generic medicines Association (EGA) in collaboration with copy-drug majors Mylan, Ratiopharm, Sandoz and Teva Pharmaceuticals, for a five-year period.

The aim of the Chair is to study the generic medicines policy environment in European countries. The Chair explores issues surrounding the European generic medicines industry and its patients' access to affordable health care, the effect of generic competition on health care budgets and the incentives to use generic medicines for physicians, pharmacists and patients. The focus of the Chair will be on the comparative analysis of generic medicines policies between European countries in addition to the study of policies in individual countries.

Generics save EU citizens nearly $40 million each year