CSRxP ENCOURAGES HELP COMMITTEE TO ADVANCE BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS TO PROMOTE GREATER COMPETITION IN THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG MARKET

Legislation Scheduled for Thursday Markup Would Encourage Adoption of Biosimilars and Improve FDA-USPTO Coordination to Crack Down on Big Pharma’s Patent Abuse

Washington, D.C. – The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP) released a statement Tuesday ahead of a markup in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on the Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act (S. 2305) and the Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act (S. 2780).

“CSRxP encourages members of the U.S. Senate Committee on HELP to advance the bipartisan Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act and Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act to help improve competition in the prescription drug marketplace,” said CSRxP executive director Lauren Aronson. “These bipartisan solutions will encourage greater adoption of biosimilars as more affordable alternatives to high-priced brand name drugs and promote improved coordination between the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on Big Pharma’s patent abuse, improve patent quality and lower drug prices.”

The Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act (S. 2305), introduced by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mike Braun (R-IN) and J.D. Vance (R-OH), would promote policies that increase the uptake of more affordable pharmaceuticals by increasing biosimilar substitution. CSRxP has previously supported efforts at the FDA to incentivize outcome reporting on patients who switch from brand biologics to biosimilars in clinical trials to educate patients and providers on the results of these studies and programs, as well as expand Medicare and Medicaid administrative policies that promote biosimilar uptake.

The Medication Affordability and Patent Integrity Act (S. 2780), introduced by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Mike Braun (R-IN), would help foster USPTO and FDA coordination to improve patent quality. CSRxP has also supported additional funding and resources for the USPTO and FDA to carry out work targeting Big Pharma’s intellectual property and patent abuses.

Read more about how biosimilar competition lowers out-of-pocket costs for patients HERE.

Read more on how Big Pharma blocks competition from generics and biosimilars utilizing patent abuse HERE.

Read more on how Big Pharma’s patent abuse is the root cause of high prescription drug prices HERE.

Read more on bipartisan, market-based solutions to hold Big Pharma accountable HERE.

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