The International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance (IGPA) was founded in March 1997 as an international network of generic medicines associations. To reflect the evolving nature of the industry, in September 2015, IGPA incorporated under Swiss Law, and at the same time changed the name of the organization to the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA).

IGBA endeavors to be the global voice of the generic and biosimilar medicines industries and, while promoting the highest GMP (Good manufacturing practice) and GCP (Good clinical practice) standards, cooperate to remove trade barriers that hinder commercial distribution of medicines across regional and international boundaries.

IGBA aims to

• Promote regulatory cooperation, information-sharing, confidence building, convergence and harmonization of standards for the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines, which will enable reliance and mutual recognition agreements.
• Promote the widest possible access to medicines with high quality, safety and efficacy for patients globally.
• Promote intellectual property regimes which foster innovation and allow the timely launch of generic and biosimilar medicines, while supporting fair competition and preventing risks of IP abuses globally.
• Be a representative body for the global generic and biosimilar medicines industries by attracting the widest assembly of members who are committed to subscribing to our standards and principles.
• Represent our members, support and co-operate with relevant international bodies and initiatives including the WHO, WTO, WIPO, ICH, APEC, ICDRA, IGDRP, IPRP, etc.
• Support parties in international and regional agreement negotiations to remove barriers and facilitate the registration and supply of generic and biosimilar medicines.
• Foster the sustainability of medicine manufacturers in the interests of healthcare systems and patients.
• Advance better access to generic and biosimilar medicines globally by organizing international conferences for the industry, stakeholders and regulators.