The newly named Board Chair of the Association of Accessible Medicines (AAM), Bob Hoffman, Chief Commercial Officer of U.S. Generics for Lupin Pharmaceuticals, provided his view of the current state of the generic and biosimilar industry and some of the issues he is concerned about.
Bob noted that the “current system need a course correction” as he questioned some of the fundamentals of what we see today. He stressed the need to defend the “integrity of the Hatch-Waxman Act,” through which competition, access, and savings flow to patients, by addressing patent thickets and regulatory barriers to generic entry. He further expressed his views that formularies should award best cost savings from generics and biosimilars by preferred tier placement. He further noted that “industry sustainability is essential” as well as having a strong supply base, and “where there is a lower cost generic or biosimilar, the system should be using it.” I think everyone in the audience agreed with these principles.
Scott Biggs, Director of Supplier Services for IQVIA, who took over the reins from retiring Doug Long, provided a comprehensive overview of the pharmaceutical industry from a numbers perspective, discussing the top drug categories, top firms by revenue and prescriptions, and a host of other metrics that are relevant to the industry. One interesting factoid he mentioned is that over half of the prescriptions for novel medicines go unfilled.
Scott Cornwell, retiring CEO of the Dispensary of Hope (DOH), received AAM’s Lifetime Achievement Award for service to patients by assuring that medicines get into the hands of patients who can’t afford them. In 2025, the DOH provided nearly 1.2 million prescriptions to patients in need through its partner clinics and pharmacies. Scott graciously thanked AAM for the award, and thanked the association members who help support the DOH’s mission by providing critical medications, their time, and the resources that help fuel the organization’s work.
Well, another great AAM annual meeting is in the books. Of course, we couldn’t cover all of the presentations and views expressed at the meeting. To obtain the full benefit of AAM’s annual meeting, consider attending next year in Orlando!
