Generic alliance rebrands as Association for Accessible Medicines to improve access

The newly rebranded Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) recently launched a nationwide campaign with the mission of “Keeping Medicines in Reach,” sharing patient profiles and maintaining its vision to control existing drug costs.

The updated name for the group — formerly known as the Generic Pharmaceutical Association — serves to clarify the organization’s goal of keeping prescription drugs affordable as well as maximize the range of availability to every single patient that needs medicine.

“The Association’s new identity will improve recognition that the generic and biosimilar medicines industry is one of the nation’s great health care success stories, and that competition … lowers the cost of medicine,” Chip Davis, president and CEO at AAM, said. “Our medicines drive savings, not costs, and we stand ready to work with the President, Congress, patient groups and others to create real and lasting health cost solutions.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that generics tend to be 80-85 percent cheaper than name-brand versions. As part of its “Keeping Medicines in Reach” initiative, AAM offers a look into real-life scenarios, profiling individuals who depend on generics to make ends meet and illustrating the positive effects of generic pricing on people’s lives.

According to the AAM website, generics comprise 89 percent of all U.S. prescriptions yet account for only 27 percent of total dollars spent.

Based in Washington, D.C., AAM also operates the Biosimilars Council to support a functional policy environment for biosimilar products, complete with consumer education and advocacy events.