Montréal, October 2, 2018 – The following is a statement by Jim Keon, President of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA), on the election of François Legault and the Coalition Avenir Québec in Quebec on Monday :

On behalf of CGPA and its member companies, congratulations to François Legault and his team for their historic victory in Monday’s Quebec elections. The CGPA wishes them every success in their majority mandate for the next four years. I also congratulate the elected representatives of all political parties, as well as the defeated candidates who participated in the important democratic process that has taken place over the last 40 days.

Our association looks forward to working with the new government on issues of importance to our members as well as Quebec’s health-care system and its economy. The CGPA and the Government of Quebec signed an agreement in July 2017 that achieves substantial savings for the health care system while helping to provide a more sustainable environment for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. We remain committed to our ongoing partnership with the Government of Quebec.

Our association also reiterates its disappointment with the provisions of the US – Mexico – Canada Agreement (USMCA) that will delay Quebecers’ access to competitively priced biosimilar drugs. Biologic medicines are the fastest growing segment in the health sector. These delays will be costly to patients, the Government of Quebec and Quebec employers that sponsor drug plans for their employees.