Toronto, July 24, 2026 – The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA) and its Biosimilars Canada division welcome the release of the federal Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector Task Force Report to the Ministers of Health and Industry and appreciates the work undertaken to identify opportunities to strengthen Canada’s pharmaceutical and life sciences sector.
CGPA, Biosimilars Canada and several member companies presented the perspectives of the generic and biosimilar medicines industries to the Task Force Co-Chairs during the consultation process but were not included in the Task Force’s membership. Recognition of the unique needs and challenges of the generic and biosimilar medicines industries must be prioritized as the federal government considers implementation of the Report’s recommendations.
“We welcome many of the report’s recommendations, but a pharmaceutical and life sciences strategy cannot be effective if it does not include the manufacturers of the medicines that account for more than 80 percent of prescriptions dispensed in Canada and companies that operate most of this countries’ pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity,” said Jim Keon, President of CGPA.
“Canada’s generic and biosimilar manufacturers are essential to improving patient access, making medicines affordable, strengthening pharmaceutical security, supporting domestic manufacturing and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our healthcare system,” Keon added.
As implementation proceeds, there is an opportunity to build on the report by giving further attention to policies that support Canada’s generic and biosimilar industries. These include faster and more predictable regulatory reviews, broader use of reliance, increased utilization of lower-cost medicines, a sustainable market for complex generics, accelerated biosimilar access, and intellectual property and other reforms that address barriers to effective pharmaceutical competition.
The report contains several recommendations that align with priorities long supported by CGPA and Biosimilars Canada, including modernizing Health Canada’s regulatory system, increasing regulatory capacity, strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, improving supply-chain resilience and making Canada a more competitive location for pharmaceutical investment.
The report also acknowledges that Canada’s regulatory, reimbursement and broader policy environment has affected investment by both innovative and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. This recognition provides an important foundation for policies that support a predictable and sustainable pharmaceutical market for all sectors of the industry.
Canada’s generic pharmaceutical industry is also a strategic national asset. The sector directly employs more than 11,000 Canadians, operates the vast majority of the country’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and exports Canadian-made medicines to more than 100 countries.
Generic medicines account for 80.1 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in Canada but only a 23.1 percent of the $47.9-billion spent annually on prescription drugs in Canada, generating substantial savings for governments, employers and patients. Biosimilars are generally priced 25 percent to more than 50 percent below their reference biologics and create further opportunities to expand access to treatment and reinvest savings in other healthcare priorities.
The report recommends establishing several public-private implementation teams to advance its proposals. CGPA and Biosimilars Canada believe it will be important for Canada’s generic and biosimilar manufacturers to be represented in relevant implementation discussions, particularly those involving regulation, pricing and reimbursement, domestic manufacturing, procurement, supply security and industrial strategy.
“The next phase of this work will be critical,” Keon said. “We look forward to working constructively with the federal government to ensure implementation reflects the contributions of the entire pharmaceutical sector and delivers better access, greater affordability, stronger domestic manufacturing and a more secure supply of medicines for Canadians.”
CGPA and Biosimilars Canada will continue to work with governments and stakeholders to advance policies that improve access to affordable medicines, foster sustainable competition, strengthen Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturing and support the long-term sustainability of Canada’s healthcare system.ts originator drug companies from using late-stage, secondary patents on clinical use methods to artificially extend their monopolies. Generic and biosimilar manufacturers can more confidently invest in developing new products for the Canadian market, knowing that the pathway to market will not be blocked by patents attempting to monopolize how a drug is administered by physicians.
The decision also carries economic benefits for public drug plans, taxpayers, employer-sponsored private health plans, and consumers who pay for their medications out-of-pocket. The ruling supports more timely generic and biosimilar drug competition, helping to keep drug insurance premiums manageable and provincial healthcare budgets sustainable. It also helps to sustain the cycle of pharmaceutical innovation by generating the savings needed to support patient access to new innovative therapies.
CGPA remains committed to working with stakeholders and all levels of government to remove barriers to accessible, cost-effective generic and biosimilar medicines.