CSRXP: SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CRACKS DOWN ON BIG PHARMA PATENT ABUSE

Unanimous, Bipartisan Passage of Bills Targeting Brand Name Drug Companies’ Anti-Competitive Tactics Adds to Momentum on Capitol Hill to Lower Rx Prices

Washington, D.C. – The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) released a statement today reacting to the unanimous, bipartisan passage of two bills in the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary that would crack down on the pharmaceutical industry’s anti-competitive tactics, promote competition in the pharmaceutical market and lower drug prices.

“CSRxP commends Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for taking this important, bipartisan step toward holding Big Pharma accountable for the industry’s egregious anti-competitive tactics,” said CSRxP executive director Lauren Aronson. “These bills will help address Big Pharma’s patent abuse and encourage greater biosimilar and generic competition. They should be swiftly passed by the full Senate and House.”

“The committee advancement of these bills adds to the growing momentum on Capitol Hill to hold Big Pharma accountable for gaming the system to undermine competition and create a crisis of prescription drug affordability,” added Aronson. “CSRxP looks forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to get these bills passed into law and advance additional critical solutions to lower drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable.”

The package includes the following bills supported by CSRxP:

• The Stop Significant and Time-Wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics (STALLING) Act targets Big Pharma abuse of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) citizen petition process to delay generic drug applications.
• The Affordable Prescription Drugs for Patients Act of 2021 targets abusive “product hopping” and “patent thicketing” tactics brand name drug makers employ to game the patent system and unfairly extend product monopolies.

Learn more on market-based solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable and lower prescription drug prices HERE.