Congress can help expand access to biologic medicines, and expand hope, by establishing a pathway for the regulatory approval of biosimilars, medicines that are similar to but not the same as pioneering biologic medicines. Both the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the House Energy and Commerce Committees included biosimilars provisions in their health care reform bills. These provisions received strong bipartisan support in each committee.

The language adopted by the committees strikes the necessary balance among expanding access and competition, ensuring patient safety and promoting continued biomedical innovation that will lead to new and improved medicines and treatments. This language is a win-win ™ for the patients of today and the patients of tomorrow.

We urge the Congress to include this biosimilars language as they continue efforts to reform our nation ™s health care system. We look forward to continuing our participation in the process of health care reform with the goal of increasing access and reducing costs while promoting the continued development of new therapies and cures.

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