House Judiciary Committee Advances CREATES Act, Three Other Drug Pricing Bills

The House Judiciary Committee advanced four bills aimed at reducing prescription drug prices.

All four bills passed unanimously and without amendment on April 30, with praises from leading Democrats and Republicans on the committee.

The bills were:

• The CREATES Act (H.R. 965), which would allow generic and biosimilar developers to sue brand-name holders for withholding samples;
• The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act (H.R. 2375), which would forbid drug companies from paying other companies to keep generics or biosimilars off the market;
• The Stop STALLING Act (H.R. 2374), which would allow the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on “frivolous” citizen petitions designed to keep generics or biosimilars off the market; and
• The Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2019 (H.R. 2376), which would require the FTC to put together “a comprehensive” study of the prescription drug supply chain, with an eye on the role of pharmacy benefits managers in driving up drug costs.

The CREATES Act has already come through the House Energy & Commerce committee. It now heads to the full House for a vote.  The Stop STALLING Act also goes before the House. The Preserve Access and Prescription Pricing bills are still pending before the House Energy & Commerce committee.