Thank you very much.
I am proud to represent the companies who conduct research and make discoveries in order to save lives and improve our health system.
We are very proud that we are in the business of improving and saving lives. Our organization invests over a billion dollars in research and development and is the largest single source of health research in the business sector.
We are looking at an aging population when we look at our health care system, and we believe that optimal utilization of innovative medicines is part of the solution. New medicines and vaccines help reduce surgery, hospitalization, and wait times, and improve patient outcomes, which I think is our goal. Various diseases, such as leukemia, 30 years ago were almost fatal. Now 80% of children stricken by this form of cancer are alive five years later. Too many Canadians will die of cancer this year. I find that totally unacceptable when we have in our research 750 new medicines that we are studying to treat, cure, and prevent cancer. Chronic diseases like diabetes and infectious diseases require research to make discoveries.
We are looking at 338 medicines and vaccines in development. We've invested in this country in terms of research and vaccine both in Toronto and Quebec. Innovative medicines are 10% of the health care cost.
We represent only 10%, but when one dollar is invested in innovative medicines, the resulting saving is seven dollars.
One dollar invested means seven saved.
If you look at the Pitney Bowes study, they experimented and actually decided--against normal thinking about restricting and cost containment strategies--not to limit choice but to encourage more choice. Pharmacy costs went down 7%. The emergency department went down 26%, and overall diabetes decreased by 6%. That's phenomenal.
We have contributed to trying to share information through our program, “Knowledge is the best medicine”, in which 3.5 million Canadians have actually shared. Canadians must have access to the power and benefits of innovation in a timely way.
The issue of wait times is one that I believe very much we have to deal with. Despite Health Canada's efforts, their approval times are still long. Provincial governments range between 9% and 37%, in P.E.I. and Quebec, in terms of listing products. Innovative medicines, we very much believe, save money, reduce wait times, lower overall costs, and improve outcomes without compromising safety. We need the right medicine at the right time for the right patient.
My recommendation would be that we include access to innovative medicines as one of the targets for the 10-year plan, so it affects the other wait times.
But I must comment on the last presenter's comments. The new regulations do not in any way, shape, or form add any delay. The companies that the last presentation represented are, I believe, twisting the truth. There are regulations that protect intellectual property. They do not result in any increase of patents. They do allow for better research. It is fear mongering, and it does not deal with the essence of what we are trying to develop here--to have a research-based community that is strong and vibrant. He also neglected to mention that generics were forced by law to reduce their prices. They were considered the most overpriced, most expensive in the world. This is an area that we must deal with.
When you talk about generosity in this country, there is in fact a pricing regime in which governments are paying too much for generics, and yet the PMPRB shows in our pricing that it's 8% below international means.
We must find a solution together. We must tell the truth when we are discussing the matter.
There is no change in these amendments that would adversely affect any Supreme Court decision. In fact, what these amendments are trying to do is clarify the intent of Parliament back in 2006 to make sure on one hand that we have innovative medicines and on the other that we have protected an IP regime that is world class.
Furthermore, again, data protection, which the member just mentioned, is compared to that in Europe, which has 11 years of data protection. Canada rightfully moved for eight years, and they should be congratulated. Canada is currently moving on trying to correct a loophole that the generics are trying to profit on, which is not in the will of Parliament, and they are trying in fact to stop this loophole, this windfall that they have now found, and improve and protect what was decided upon in 2006. This should be encouraged and it should be protected.
Merci beaucoup.