Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, whose Connecticut holdings include St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, is teaming with four other health systems to create a not-for-profit generic drug company to improve the availability and lower the cost of essential generic drugs.
“For people in the United States, there is a dangerous gap today between the demand and supply of affordable prescription drugs,” said Dr. Richard J. Gilfillan, CEO of Trinity Health. “If the only way to provide our communities with affordable drugs is to produce them ourselves, then that is what we will do. We look forward to more healthcare systems around the country joining this people-centered effort.”
Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare is leading creation of the generic drug company in partnership with Ascension and SSM Health, and in consultation with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is providing no financial support for the project. They represent more than 450 hospitals.
The new company intends to be an FDA-approved manufacturer and will either directly manufacture generic drugs or subcontract manufacturing to contract manufacturing organizations, Trinity Health said.
The company also will seek to stabilize the supply of essential generic medications administered in hospitals, many of which have fallen into chronic shortage, Trinity said, adding the new initiative aims to lower costs and create more predictable supplies of essential generic medicines.
