Supreme Court Affordable Care Act Ruling Must Now Lead to Implementation That Will Promote Innovation and Expand Access, Says BIO

Pleased to move forward on biosimilars pathway

Washington, D.C. (June 28, 2012) -Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement on the ruling issued today by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the Affordable Care Act:

"BIO will continue to work with relevant federal and state agencies to ensure implementation of the law in a manner that helps enable the U.S. biotech community's continued development of lifesaving cures and other medical breakthroughs while expanding patient access to these critical cures, medicines and innovations.  We will work to ensure that biotech researchers can continue to address the diseases of today while conducting the research and investment required to develop the advanced medicines and cures of tomorrow.

"We also will continue our work with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement the bipartisan-backed biosimilars pathway that was enacted under the law.  Specifically, we will advocate for implementation approaches that ensure patient safety, expand patient access and competition, and provide necessary and fair incentives that will help spur continued biomedical breakthroughs.  FDA regulations and guidance must help today's patients while enabling the biotech community to move into tomorrow with cures and continued breakthroughs so  our children and grandchildren won't have to live with the same diseases we have faced and, perhaps, one day, any diseases at all.

"In addition, BIO will continue to support efforts to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), which threatens patient access to needed cures and medical breakthroughs."