Drug Patent Database Revamp Falls Short of Tackling High Costs

A new law updating the FDA’s drug patent database aims to increase access to generic medications but falls short of addressing barriers to lower prices, attorneys say.

H.R.1503 requires the Food and Drug Administration to promptly remove invalidated patents from a publication identifying agency-approved drug protections. The law, dubbed the Orange Book Transparency Act, also calls on drug companies to provide more information on their products while clarifying what sorts of patents need to be listed.

Signed by President Donald Trump this week, the law was introduced to make it easier for more generic producers to enter the marketplace. But ...