WASHINGTON—A provision of the new NAFTA that could raise the cost of certain medications in Canada has emerged as one of the major obstacles to the agreement being approved in the United States.Some Democrats are demanding a change to a rule that would require the U.S., Canada and Mexico to protect the intellectual property behind sophisticated and expensive drugs known as biologics for at least 10 years.These Democrats, like Canada’s generic drug industry, warn that the new biologics rule would keep drug prices high by requiring citizens to wait longer before they can get their hands on lower-cost similar drugs known as biosimilars.Canada would have to change its current policy: Canada currently offers eight years of the “data protection.” The U.S. would not have to change anything: under a law signed by Democrat Barack Obama, the U.S. already offers 12 years of data protection.Democrats oppose the 10-year minimum, however, because it would forbid them from reducing the U.S. protection period in the future. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and current members of Congress have called for a reduction to seven years, Obama’s own preference during the original negotiations.“Last night, President Trump called on Democrats to work with him on prescription-drug reform. He also asked us to support NAFTA 2.0. What he failed to say is that these things are fundamentally at odds with each other,” said Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky said in a statement after Tuesday’s State of the Union. “NAFTA 2.0, as written, will keep prescription drug costs high, and Americans will get poorer and sicker as a result. Worse, it would tie Congress’ hands and prevent us from addressing the issue of drug costs.”Read more: Canada staying out of U.S. ratification fight over new NAFTA, Leslie says‘Canada has done its part,’ Freeland says as Democrats demand changes to new NAFTATrump uses state o ...
|
