Bills to lower drug costs, increase competition clear Senate committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed four bills aimed at lowering prescription drug costs and increasing competition.
- The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics Act (S. 1224) would make it illegal for drug makers to use “sham” citizen petitions to delay or keep low-cost generic competitors off the market.
- The Prescription Pricing for the People Act (S. 1227) would require the Federal Trade Commission to study the role of intermediaries in the pharmaceutical supply chain and provide Congress with appropriate policy recommendations.
- The Preserving Access to Cost Effective Drugs Act (S. 440) would prohibit patent owners from asserting sovereign immunity as a defense in certain actions before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to prevent production of generic medications.
- The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (S. 1416) would amend the FTC Act to prohibit anticompetitive behaviors by drug product manufacturers, among other provisions.
These bills could be combined with drug pricing proposals from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Senate Finance Committee.
Related News Articles
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services May 20 announced it has identified specific pricing targets for pharmaceutical manufacturers to meet to satisfy…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services May 12 released draft guidance for the third round of negotiations for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation…
Headline
The House Energy and Commerce Committee today advanced by a 30-24 vote along party lines its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill following a…
Headline
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. May 14 testified on President Trump’s discretionary budget proposal for fiscal year…
Headline
The House Ways and Means Committee today advanced its portion of the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation bill by a 26-19 vote along party lines, following an hours…
Headline
The White House May 12 released an executive order to reduce prescription drug costs by allowing consumers to make direct purchases from drug manufacturers at…