Alan F. Holmer, President of The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

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The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. The industry invested more than $30 billion in 2001 in discovering and developing new medicines. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures.

A personal message from Alan Holmer:

Americans today are more aware of and concerned about our nation’s security than ever before. At America’s pharmaceutical companies, our concern extends to working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that the medicines we make are delivered safely to pharmacies, hospitals, health care clinics, and ultimately to our patients.

Fortunately, a consumer protection law passed by Congress in 1988 helps to protect Americans from adulterated drugs and counterfeit medicines and drugs that may have lost their potency during foreign handling and shipping. And yet, despite all the vigilance that the FDA, the Customs Service and the FBI exercise, unsafe drugs do cross our borders. Although very rare, patients have suffered serious consequences. That’s why we cannot let up on our vigilance now.

PhRMA is concerned about current efforts by some in Congress to repeal the 1988 law that has worked so well to keep adulterated, misbranded and counterfeit medicines out of the country. Supporters of this effort, who passed legislation in the Senate in July, say they want to change the law to allow “reimportation” of medicines from Canada in order to open the door to cheaper foreign drugs. Although it may sound politically appealing to amend current health and safety laws to allow for such reimportation of medicines, a reimportation scheme presents real risks to patients and no guarantees of cheaper drugs. In fact, studies have shown that U.S. consumers wouldn’t even see any significant savings from reimported medicines. FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford told Congress in July, “...it is likely that the intended cost-savings for consumers would be absorbed by fees charged by exporters, pharmacists…"

Americans likely won’t save money, but they certainly will bear the risk of medicines with unknown origins. According to Deputy Commissioner Crawford, “the [Senate] bill would actually create an incentive for unscrupulous individuals to find ways to sell unsafe or counterfeit drugs, that while purported to be from Canada, may actually originate in any part of the world.”

This fall, the attention turns to the House of Representatives, which may also consider a reimportation bill. For the sake of patients, Congress should reject this dangerous legislation. As Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson recently said: “Opening our borders to reimported drugs potentially could increase the flow of counterfeit drugs, cheap foreign copies of FDA-approved drugs, expired and contaminated drugs, and drugs stored under inappropriate and unsafe conditions. In light of the anthrax attacks of last fall, that’s a risk we simply cannot take.”

Supporters of reimportation in the House and Senate have a good cause in mind: to help Americans, especially seniors, gain better access to life-saving, life-enhancing medicines from Canada, which imposes price control on medicines. While the goal is good, a far better way to do this is to craft a prescription drug insurance benefit for America’s seniors and persons with disabilities. They have the greatest need for better access to medicines. Prescription drug coverage would do far more to make drugs more affordable than reimportation – and would do it safely. Reimportation schemes are a distraction from this important task, and a very risky one.

To listen to an interview with Alan F. Holmer, please go to the Professional Recruiters Web site.

Edith M. Kallas

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Edith M. Kallas, a partner with Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach , was interviewed about managed healthcare litigation in Florida for American Airline's Forbes Business & Technology Channel for a show entitled “Designing 21st Century Health Care System."

To listen to Ms. Kallas' interview click on the Healthcare icon on Professional Recruiter's Web site.

Ms. Kallas is presently a Managing Partner of the Firm and concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of Healthcare and Securities Litigation. Her clients include: the Medical Society of the State of New York, the Connecticut State Medical Society, the Medical Society of New Jersey, South Carolina Medical Association, Tennessee Medical Association, North Virginia Medical Societies, North Carolina Medical Society, Washington State Medical Association, Hawaii Medical Association, Alaska Medical Association, Vermont Medical Society, El Paso County Medical Society of Colorado, and the California Chiropractic Association.

Fred Cohen

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Fred Cohen is a principal in the Litigation Group of Goldgerg Kohn of Chicago with significant experience in a broad range of business disputes. He has extensive experience litigating patent and trademark infringement matters, class actions, health care matters, business tort cases, e-commerce issues, and state and local tax challenges. He is an adjunct professor of intellectual property litigation at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, and he is on the advisory board of The Licensing Journal.

John Bigalke

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John Bigalke, National Managing Partner with Deloitte & Touche was interviewed about "The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) bringing the most sweeping changes to the Medicare program since its inception" for American Airline's Forbes Business & Technology Channel. The show was titled “Designing a 21st Century Health Care System.”

To listen to Mr. Bigalke's interview click on the Healthcare icon on Professional Recruiter's Web site.

Deloitte, one of the nation's leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through nearly 30,000 people in more than 80 U.S. cities. Known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programs, the firm is dedicated to helping its clients and its people excel. "Deloitte" refers to the associated partnerships of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP (Deloitte & Touche LLP and Deloitte Consulting LLP) and subsidiaries. Deloitte is the U.S. member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Joshua S. Levine

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Joshua S. Levine, a partner with the White Plains, New York law firm of Danziger & Markhoff was interviewed about "Health care practitioners having to deal with increasing government regulation as well as policies and initiatives undertaken by private payors and the health care marketplace" for American Airline's Forbes Business & Technology Channel. The show was titled “Designing a 21st Century Health Care System.”

To listen to Mr. Levine's interview click on the Healthcare icon on Professional Recruiter's Web site.

Mr. Levine concentrates in corporate, securities and health law and represents closely held businesses and professional corporations -- primarily medical practices -- on all aspects of their business dealings. He counsels clients in connection with the formation of new businesses, the organization of joint ventures, and the acquisition and sale of businesses.

Leonard D. Schaeffer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WellPoint

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Leonard D. Schaeffer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WellPoint.

Leonard D. Schaeffer is chairman and chief executive officer of WellPoint, the nation's second largest publicly traded health care company. WellPoint serves more than 15 million medical members and approximately 46 million specialty members. WellPoint's revenues for the 12 months ended December 31, 2003 were $20.4 billion. WellPoint employs nearly 20,000 full-time associates in more than 90 offices throughout the country.

Under his leadership, WellPoint has been selected by FORTUNE magazine as America's "Most Admired Health Care Company" for an unprecedented six consecutive years and is ranked number 3 on BusinessWeek's "BW50" ranking of top performing public companies in the S&P 500. WellPoint has also been named by Forbes magazine as America's best large health insurance company and named one of America's Top Public Companies for Executive Women. Schaeffer was selected by BusinessWeek magazine as one of the "Top 25 Managers of the Year" and by Worth magazine as one of the "50 Best CEOs in America."

To listen to an interview with Alan F. Homes, please go to the Professional Recruiters Web site.

Michael H. Bernstein

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Michael H. Bernstein, a partner in Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold ’s New York office, was interviewed about the state of healthcare litigation for American Airline's Forbes Business & Technology Channel for the WORLD BUSINESS MONITOR Show.

To listen to Mr. Bernstein's interview click on the Healthcare icon on Professional Recruiter's Web site.

Michael H. Bernstein practices in the areas of ERISA, as well as medical malpractice liability and related insurance coverage issues. He is a member of Sedgwick’s Healthcare Law and Employment and Labor Law Groups. He counsels employee benefit plan administrators and fiduciaries concerning ERISA, employee benefits and health care issues. He has successfully defended life, health and disability claims against plan administrators, employers and managed care organizations.

T. Reed Stephens

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Reed Stevens was interviewed for the American Airline's Forbes Business & Technology Channel for a show covering the following topics: “Designing a 21st Century Health Care System, The New Medicare Law, The Medicaid Law, Health Care Litigation, The Medicine Equity & Drugs Safety Act II & The Pharmaceutical Industry’s Security Measures to Protect the Integrity of Prescription Drugs and the Drug Distribution Network.”

To listen to Mr. Steven's interview click on the Healthcare icon on Professional Recruiter's Web site.

Mr. Stephens, a partner with the Sonnenschein firm in Washington, D.C., practices in the firm's national health care practice. A former attorney with the Department of Justice, he was lead or co-lead counsel in some 60 investigations, the majority involving allegations of health care fraud against the Medicare and Medicaid programs, TRICARE, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Mr. Stephens was lead/co-lead counsel in over a dozen fraud matters that resulted in multi-million dollar recoveries to the United States. Of the $6 billion in recoveries collected by the Department of Justice under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act in the seventeen years since the 1986 amendments to the statute, over 10% of that total was recovered in Mr. Stephens' cases. These investigations -- many of which resulted in complex, civil/criminal federal/state global settlements -- involved a host of providers and suppliers, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospitals and home health agencies.