GOP Senator Aims to Smoke Out Opposition to Drug Patent Bill

Sen. John Cornyn is mulling bringing his bill that would restrict drugmakers from gaming the patent process to the Senate floor this week to see if any lawmakers will publicly oppose the measure.

The Texas Republican said in an interview Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has a hold on his bill (S.1416), which would limit the practice of drugmakers filing new patents on older products or steering consumers to similar, separately patented brand-name drugs when older patents run out.

The bill is aimed at giving the Federal Trade Commission more power to combat common patent practices critics say ...