Senate to Consider Three More Drug Pricing Bills

The Senate will weigh another three bills aimed at lowering drug prices in what is turning out to be a frenetic session for the drug industry.

The Reforming Ever-greening and Manipulation That Extends Drug Years (REMEDY) Act (S.B. 1209), the Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act (S.B. 1140) and the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act (S.B. 1169) joined the roll of bills pending that take aim at what sponsors claim are drivers of high drug costs.

The full House is considering another half-dozen bills, including the CREATES Act, and subcommittees on both sides of Capitol Hill have held hearings to grill industry executives about their business practices.

The REMEDY Act would allow generic makers to produce their drugs once the brand name’s substance patent and exclusivities have expired. Its backers—Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)—say that it will remove incentives to file suits over non-innovative patents while still giving the original patent holders the option of litigating.