Patent Bill Would Hike Drug Prices, Cut Access, Senators Warned

Pharmaceutical companies would be able to drive drug prices to “unjustifiable heights” and prevent competition from more affordable generic drugs if Congress passes a pending patent bill, public interest advocates cautioned Senate Judiciary leaders.

The proposed Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act, or PREVAIL Act, would prohibit patients and consumers from challenging patents’ validity and raise evidentiary standards to make it more difficult to cancel wrongly granted patents, according to the letters advocacy groups sent Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and ranking member Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday. Signatories included Public Citizen, People’s Action, ...