Toronto, March 11, 2020 – The following is a statement from Jim Keon, President of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA) and Biosimilars Canada, on COVID-19:

“The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA) and Biosimilars Canada are working closely with Health Canada and our member companies to help ensure that Canadian patients continue to have access to high-quality generic and biosimilar medicines.

To date, we are not aware of any drug shortages in Canada related to COVID-19.

Canada’s generic and biosimilars pharmaceutical manufacturers, in cooperation with Health Canada, are closely monitoring the situation and working to minimize any possible disruption to the supply of generic and biosimilar medicines for Canadian patients.

Disruptions to the international prescription drug supply can occur for various reasons. Generic and biosimilar pharmaceutical manufacturers in Canada do their utmost to mitigate them and proactively plan for contingencies.

As a member of the International Generic and Biosimilars Association (IGBA), CGPA and Biosimilars Canada are also working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to continuously monitor and assess international developments and any potential impact on the global drug supply.”