Biden Patent Office Pick Will Shape Fight Over High Drug Prices

The path toward lower drug prices could hinge on who President Joe Biden picks as the next director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Generic drug groups are pushing for a PTO chief who will make it easier to invalidate patents they find as obstacles to bringing lower-cost medicines to the market. Proponents of strong intellectual property protections believe they are the gateway to innovation, and want a director like Andrei Iancu who will take steps to ensure that inventors aren’t easily stripped of their rights.

Biden has yet to announce a nomination. But the debate comes amid renewed ...