STAT: As global markets for generic drugs fail, poor people pay the price
Rachel Silverman, policy fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), and Amanda Glassman, executive vice president at CGD and CEO of Center for Global Development Europe

“Healthy competition from generic drugs is often held up as a ‘cure’ for high drug prices — a shared concern across rich and developing countries alike. For many low- and middle-income countries, however, a new report from the Center for Global Development … shows that global markets for generic medicines are failing, leaving the poorest patients without safe and affordable essential medicines. The first point of failure is drug quality. … The second point of failure is limited competition. … Healthy generic competition can help keep medicine prices in check. … The World Health Organization and country governments need to focus on enhancing competition and creating an enabling and adequate policy environment for quality generics competition. … Patients around the world are being harmed by failing global markets for generic drugs. With leadership from the WHO and national governments, countries can take a big step in the right direction to close this gap, which severely affects the world’s poor” (6/17).