Jeff Connell

health care, public affairs, government/politics

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Did you know that Canadians fill an average of 1.82 million prescriptions every day using generic and biosimilar medicines?

That means, each and every day, millions of patients receive safe, effective, high-quality treatments while helping keep healthcare costs under control.

In fact, generic and biosimilar medicines form the backbone of Canada's healthcare system, delivering the vast majority of prescriptions while accounting for only a fraction of overall drug spending.

Every prescription filled with a generic or biosimilar medicine helps patients access the treatments they need while making our healthcare system more affordable and sustainable for the future.

That's the value of competition. That's the value of generics and biosimilars.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

The Carney government wants to cut operational spending by 15% by 2029, a laudable goal to rein in federal expenses.

But, paradoxically, one of the best ways to save Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars may actually be to give Health Canada more resources.

Before a generic medicine can be sold in Canada, Health Canada has to review and approve it.

But because of chronic underfunding of review staff, that review process keeps taking longer and longer, which means patients, employers and public drug plans keep paying higher brand-name prices longer than necessary.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Last week, CGPA President Jim Keon was pleased to welcome members of Mexico's generic pharmaceuticals industry to Toronto for a fruitful and productive discussion.

Representatives of AMALEF (the Asociación Mexicana De Laboratorios Farmacéuticos) and the Mexico City-based company Neolpharma met with Jim to discuss the important role generic medicines play in improving patient access and healthcare sustainability across North America.

Each party shared their perspectives on the Canadian and Mexican generic pharmaceutical landscapes, industry trends shaping the sector and opportunities for continued collaboration and strategic alignment.

Thank you to Astrea Ocampo and Diego Ocampo for taking the time to meet with CGPA.

CGPA appreciates the opportunity to strengthen relationships with international partners committed to improving access to affordable medicines for patients.

#CGPA #Generics #Pharmaceuticals #Healthcare #USMCA #Canada #Mexico #AffordableMedicines #PatientCare #Biosimilars

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association is proud to join the 450+ Members of the @USPharmacopeia Convention.

Participation in the USP Convention provides a platform to share our insights and support USP's mission to improve health through public standards that support the quality of medicines, supplements, and food ingredients worldwide.

We are excited for the opportunity to bring our perspective to these global discussions and collaborate with others working to strengthen confidence in the products people rely on every day.

View the full list of recently announced USP Convention Members: https://t.co/WhIytx8vcW

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

If a safe, effective generic pharmaceutical becomes available for a fraction of the price of the brand name version, why doesn’t uptake happen automatically?

Because the current system makes it harder than you’d think.

When market exclusivity ends and a complex generic becomes available, you might expect drug plans to shift quickly to reimburse it. But in most cases, brand-name products remain listed as benefits alongside generics.

After years of established prescribing patterns, the brand often continues to be dispensed, even when a generic alternative is available.

This ultimately weakens the financial incentive for manufacturers to launch future generics in Canada, reducing competition and threatening long-term savings.

Fortunately, there’s a practical way to increase uptake of complex generics, and we’ve already seen it work. Biosimilar switching policies have helped deliver meaningful savings for public drug plans while maintaining patient access, and a similar approach could apply here.

Delisting brand-name versions as benefits upon prescription renewal would allow complex generics to compete more effectively.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Thank you to Adam Rambert of Apotex and Brigitte Richard of Sandoz for serving as chair and vice-chair, respectively, of CGPA's Legal Affairs Committee.

Supporting the CGPA on legal aspects of all its files, the Legal Affairs Committee reviews, monitors and engages in emerging legal issues of concern to the generic and biosimilar medicines industries, including areas of a compliance nature, such as the CGPA Code of Marketing Conduct and competition and privacy law obligations.

Thank you to Adam, Brigitte and the committee for your excellent work!

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

The CGPA would like to thank Kevin Zive of Apotex and Glenn Ikeda of Natco Pharma Canada for serving as chair and vice-chair, respectively, of  the IP Committee.

Advising CGPA on issues related to Canada’s intellectual property regime for pharmaceuticals and biologics, the IP Committee's role is to maintain an internationally competitive intellectual property framework for the development, approval and sale of generic and biosimilar medicines.

Tasked with effectively balancing IP holder rights with the timely entry of new generic and biosimilar medicines for Canadian taxpayers, the Committee identifies trends, concerns and proposals regarding the operation and administration of Canada’s pharmaceutical IP regime.

It also supports CGPA’s interventions in any IP court cases that are of broad concern to the generic and biosimilar medicines industries.

Thank you again to Kevin, Glenn and the IP Committee for your great work and continued support.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

How affordable are generic medicines? In a lot of cases, they cost less than your daily double-double.

Take common cholesterol drugs like atorvastatin or rosuvastatin, for example.

A 30-day supply of the generic versions costs about $5 to $7 per month. Do the math, and that’s (significantly) less than the cost of ordering a medium coffee every day at your favourite coffee shop chain.

With prices like that, it’s no wonder that generic medicines save Canada’s healthcare system billions of dollars annually.

But generic medicines can only help Canadians if the companies that make them can afford to keep making them.

That’s why we need smart policy to protect both affordability, and long-term supply.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

CGPA President Jim Keon and Vice President of Federal and International Affairs Jody Cox recently appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health as part of its study on Canada’s pharmaceutical sovereignty.

Emphasizing a point Jim made recently in an op-ed for National Newswatch, they informed the committee that the best way for Ottawa to secure medicine supply is to remove barriers to the drugs that fill 80 percent of Canadian prescriptions.

That begins with sustainable pricing levels, restoring predictability to the regulatory environment, ensuring timely review of generic drug submissions, and putting policies in place that encourage the use of cost-saving medicines once they are approved.

Click below to read Jim's previous op-ed and learn more about the essential role generic and biosimilar medicines play in Canada’s pharmaceutical sovereignty.

https://t.co/TBD5kxXfbV

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

To coincide with his appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health, CGPA & Biosimilars Canada President Jim Keon has penned a new op-ed for National Newswatch that makes CGPA's position clear:

If Ottawa wants a secure supply of medicines, it must remove barriers to the drugs that fill 80 percent of prescriptions.

"Generics and biosimilars are too often treated simply as a line item to minimize in health budgets," Jim writes, before noting that Canada’s generic and biosimilar sector is a strategic asset. "When supply chains fracture, countries with domestic manufacturing capacity and reliable partnerships are better positioned to protect their populations."

That's why Canada’s pharmaceutical sovereignty starts with generics and biosimilars.

Read the full op-ed here:
https://t.co/TBD5kxXfbV

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Today, CGPA President Jim Keon and our VP of Federal and International Affairs Jody Cox will appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health as part of its study on Canada’s pharmaceutical sovereignty.

The Committee is examining how Canada can strengthen its domestic pharmaceutical sector and ensure Canadians have reliable access to essential medicines and medical supplies.

Jim and Jody will join a panel of witnesses from across the healthcare ecosystem to share the perspective of Canada’s generic and biosimilar medicines industries and contribute to the discussion on building a strong, resilient pharmaceutical system.

Generic and biosimilar medicines fill 80% of prescriptions dispensed in Canada and generate billions of dollars in savings every year for public and private drug plans. A policy framework that champions generics and biosimilars will enable Canada to expand domestic investment, strengthen the resilience of its medicine supply, and ensure Canadians continue to have access to affordable treatments.

We look forward to contributing to this important conversation about the future of Canada’s pharmaceutical sovereignty.

Both the live and the recorded video will be available through the following link: https://t.co/f97OdCElFy

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

CGPA welcomes Laboratoire Riva as our newest member.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

CGPA is pleased to announce that Michel Robidoux, President & General Manager of Sandoz Canada, has been re‑elected as Chair.

After being elected to his position last year, Michel has spent the past 12 months working to ensure Canada is a viable market for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers and the cost-saving medicines that are vital to sustaining our health-care system.

CGPA congratulates him on his re-election and looks forward to his continued leadership at this critical time for Canada’s generic medicines sector.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Thank you to Matt Southcott of Apotex and Gayle Peddle of Sun Pharma Canada, Chair and Vice Chair of CGPA's Market Growth Committee.

Playing a key role in CGPA’s mission to increase the use of generic prescription medicines in Canada's private sector, the Market Growth Committee works to ensure that Canadians understand that generic pharmaceutical products are essential to a sustainable, national healthcare system.

Thank you to Matt, Gayle and all Committee members for your excellent work in spreading the word about the tremendous value that generic pharmaceutical products bring to the lives of Canadians.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

By supplying life-saving medicines for a small fraction of the original cost, generic pharmaceuticals make healthcare much more affordable for Canadians.

Using generic medicine has saved our healthcare system tens of billions of dollars over the past five years.

But the crazy thing is, that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what we COULD be saving.

If both the private and public sectors increased their use of generic pharmaceuticals by just 1%, the Canadian healthcare system would save an additional $1.2 billion each year.

That’s the power of generics: even small can lead to massive gains for patients, providers and the health outcomes of millions of Canadians.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Last week, leaders from across the generic and biosimilar medicines sector gathered in Toronto for the 2026 CGPA Annual Members Meeting to discuss the policies and priorities shaping Canada’s pharmaceutical landscape.

CGPA and its member companies were pleased to welcome Pamela Aung-Thin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch at Health Canada, as this year’s keynote speaker.

Pamela shared valuable insights into how Health Canada is working to improve the drug review process and opportunities for continued collaboration with CGPA.

Thank you, Pamela, for your thoughtful contribution to this year’s discussion!

To learn more about how Canada’s generic and biosimilar medicines industry works with government and stakeholders to strengthen healthcare and support a sustainable economy, visit https://t.co/lEChIO3knz

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Thank you to Guillaume Lefevre of Sandoz Canada and Gayle Peddle of Sun Pharma Canada, Chair and Vice Chair of CGPA's Government Relations Committee.

Assembled from member company staff, the Government Relations Committee manages some of CGPA's most important files, helping us communicate with key stakeholders from all levels of government.

We are grateful to have such a capable team to help us navigate these vital aspects of our work.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Yesterday, key voices from across Canada’s pharmaceutical landscape gathered at the Toronto Congress Centre for the 2026 CGPA / Biosimilars Canada Annual Members Meeting.

This year’s agenda tackled some of the most pressing issues facing the sector—including policy, pricing, and regulatory capacity—with perspectives from regulators, policy experts, and senior industry leaders.

Eric Lamoureux, CGPA’s Director for Quebec, followed with a briefing on the province’s political and policy environment, and CGPA’s Jody Cox, Jeff Connell, and Kristin Willemsen outlined 2025 achievements and strategic goals for the year ahead.

After Mike Woolcock, Vice Chair of Biosimilars Canada, presented the biosimilars sector’s annual plan, it was time for the return of the popular Bearpit Session.

A lively discussion on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our industry, this year’s session once again saw CGPA President Jim Keon moderate a panel of industry leaders, including Ray Shelley of Apotex, Martin Willner of Fresenius Kabi, Glenn Ikeda of Natco, Michel Robidoux of Sandoz, Barb Pimentel of Sun Pharma Canada and Teva's Fabien Paquette.

The meeting once again served as an important platform for collaboration and forward thinking, helping to keep Canada’s pharmaceutical system strong, sustainable and focused on delivering for patients.

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

Health Canada's delays are delaying Canadians to lower-cost medicines—and costing them millions of dollars in the process.

In fact, some generic submissions have faced delays of more than two years, keeping affordable options out of reach for far too long.

As CGPA President Jim Keon recently told The Globe and Mail, the CGPA has been encouraging Health Canada to make a priority of speeding up the process.

"We have talked to them about this for quite a while," Jim explains, "and they say: 'Well, we haven't got the resources to develop guidances on all these complex products."

Placing a strong priority on the timely review and approval of lower-cost generic and biosimilar medicines is imperative for improving patient access to treatments and supporting the long-term sustainability of Canada's health-care system.

Read The Globe and Mail article to learn about these delays to Canadians’ access to affordable medicines:
https://t.co/00Hv5T2hvH

[CGPA @CdnGenerics]

The International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA), which represents global manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines, announced today that CGPA and Biosimilars Canada President Jim Keon has assumed the role of IGBA Chair for 2026.

In this third stint as IGBA Chair, Jim will leverage his 30-plus years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to help guide IGBA’s mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable medicines worldwide, advancing priorities like regulatory convergence, balanced IP systems and resilient markets.

“I am honoured to take on this role again,” Keon says. “In a rapidly changing world, access to safe, effective, high-quality, and cost-effective medicines remains fundamental... The IGBA community is committed to its vision, and we will continue working to expand access to medicines worldwide."

Congratulations Jim!

Read the IGBA's full announcement:

https://t.co/hUyeWkkNxh