Sample email

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Sample Biogenerics Email to House Staff

Re: The Vote on Generic Biotech Drugs in the Health Care Reform Bill

Dear [insert name],

I am writing to ask Representative [insert name] vote against the Eshoo-Barton generic biologics proposal – which features 14.5 years of data exclusivity — when the Energy and Commerce Committee considers adding it to the health care reform bill in the coming days. I would like him or her to support a proposal with a much lower period of data protection, such as the Obama Administration’s “generous compromise” of seven (7) years of data exclusivity. I would prefer to see as little data exclusivity as possible so that consumers get affordable generic biologic drugs at the earliest possible date.

Biologics are very expensive medicines which include cancer treatments, vaccines and a variety of other interventions, many of which costs tens of thousands of dollars per patient, per year. Current prices threaten to further cripple our health care system.

As you know, traditional chemical drugs received a minimum of five (5) years of data exclusivity under the 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act. I believe the same amount should be given to biologics. The brand-name industry is seeking fourteen years of protection for biologics. The Federal Trade Commission recently found that a 14 year-period would be excessive and unnecessary to induce further biomedical innovation. [i] However, I will support the generous compromise of seven (7) years if that is put forward in your committee.

At a time when we are seeing the cost of our health care growing out of control, when 60% of bankruptcies are related to health care costs, [ii] please demonstrate your commitment to American consumers by ensuring lower-cost generic medicines to consumers while continuing to provide incentives for innovation.

Thank you for your consideration. I’ll look forward to your response and am happy to speak further about this issue with you or a member of your staff.

Kind Regards,

NAME, AFFILIATION (eg. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines or American Medical Student Association and your University)
ADDRESS (VERY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS IF YOU HAVE AN ADDRESS IN THE SENATOR’S HOME STATE )

Notes

i See Federal Trade Commission, Emerging Health Care Issues: Follow-On Biologic Drug Competition, June 2009. Available at: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/06/biologics.shtm and Henry Grabowski, Outlook: Follow-on biologics: data exclusivity and the balance between innovation and competition. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 7, 479-488 (June 2008). Available at: http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v7/n6/full/nrd2532.html.

ii Arnst, Catherine. “Study Links Medical Cost and Personal Bankruptcy.” BusinessWeek June 4, 2009. Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/db2009064_666715.htm