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
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
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
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The CGPA and its member companies would like to thank The Hon. @VictorFedeli Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, along with The Hon. @ninatangri , and MPPs John Jordan, Frances Gélinas, and Lee Fairclough for meeting with us at Queen’s Park yesterday.
We value the opportunity to continue our dialogue with the government about the importance of generic pharmaceuticals for Ontario. Not only do generics make the province’s health-care system more affordable, they also support the province’s life science sector, provide manufacturing jobs, and increase exports.
In our conversations, we highlighted the importance of timely approvals for generics and biosimilars as well as the need for additional Health Canada resources to help meet the growing demand for affordable medicines.
We look forward to continuing these important conversations to benefit patients, the health-care system, and Ontario’s economy.
In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal of tariffs of up to 200% on pharmaceutical imports, CGPA President Jim Keon shared his perspective in today’s Toronto Star.
While Canada represents just 5% of U.S. generic imports, Jim noted that the proposed tariffs would still be a major hit for Canadian producers:
“It’s a very significant market for some of our members.Companies will not be able to absorb a 200 per cent tariff.”
He also cautioned that Canadian companies could be unintentionally caught in the crossfire, as the U.S. seeks to address pharmaceutical imports from other jurisdictions.
“We’re not the ones being targeted, but we might get caught in the crossfire.”
The article underscores the risks of trade uncertainty—and the potential for significantly higher drug prices for U.S. consumers.
Read the full story here:
https://t.co/p60jKbCmXE
#CanMNT's Jesse Marsch's full comments on Canada USA relations and the 51st state rhetoric out of the White House.
“These international tournaments for Canada mean something different now. As an American, I'd like to address the 51st state discourse, which I find unsettling and frankly insulting. Canada is a strong, independent nation that's deeply rooted in decency, and it's a place that values high ethics and respect, unlike the polarized, disrespectful and often now, hate-fueled climate that's in the US.
Canada values a lot of fairness and unity. It's a place that I've learned as the CanMNT coach where people really believe that their differences make them stronger and honestly, it's one of the things that I've enjoyed the most about our team, is that they exemplify this as human beings and as a team.
“They're almost all first and second generation Canadians coming from different heritage and cultures, but they uniquely are incredibly proud Canadian to represent their country, to give everything to each other and the love that they have for each other and playing for their country. To me, this sounds very familiar to years past, right? So for me right now, I couldn't be prouder to be the Canadian national team coach. I found a place where that embodies, for me, the the ideals and morals of what not just football and a team is, but what life is, and that's integrity, respect and the belief that good people can do great things together.
If I have one message to our President, it's lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state. As an American, I'm ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we've shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies. But one thing's for sure: When I look forward to a month from now, is I know that this will fuel our team, the mentality we have, the will we have to play for our country, the desire we have to go after this tournament in every way and to show on and off the pitch exactly what Canadian character is so obviously I really look forward to the to the challenge of playing Mexico but the the tournament as a whole and I and I guarantee that our team will be ready.”
Congratulations to CGPA President Jim Keon, who has been named Vice Chair of the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA) for 2025.
Jim joins Shinichiro Hirose, Director of International Affairs at the Japanese Generic Medicines Association (JGA), who takes over the position of IGBA Chair for 2025 from Adrian van den Hoven, Director of Medicines for Europe.
“IGBA’s priorities include access to safe, effective, cost-effective, and quality-assured medicines; single global development and regulatory convergence balanced; balanced intellectual property systems; and industry sustainability,” notes IGBA Secretary General Susana Almeida. “These will continue to be the axes of our work at IGBA, and we will support the incoming Chair and the membership in the realization of these priorities.”
Congratulations to the 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Champions! Men's Team Keon from Ontario & Women's Team Armstrong from Nova Scotia – your hard work and skill on the ice earned this well-deserved win!
A big shoutout to all the incredible teams who participated. #ECCC2024
🎉🥇 Team Ontario for the Win! 🥇🎉
Team Keon has claimed victory at the 2024 Everest Funeral Concierge Canadian Curling Club Championship!
Join us in congratulating Team Keon in this incredible achievement! 🥌🇨🇦
#TeamOntario