Drug Patent Cap, Pharma Bills, Sail Through Senate Committee (1)

Drug price legislation sailed through a Senate committee June 27, including a bill that would cap the number of patents drugmakers can file for brand products.

The legislation is aimed at eliminating patent games, like when a drugmaker files additional patents for a product not because they’ve changed the product but to protect their exclusivity rights. Companies will be limited on the number of additional patents they can file for a product. Patents that fall under certain categories will be limited—for example, new patents filed for old products.

This is the second package of drug bills that passed through the ...