Pfizer, Astellas’ Xtandi Patents Avoid Seizure by NIH (3)

In a long-awaited decision, the NIH announced it won’t force Pfizer Inc. and Astellas Pharma Inc. to lower the price of their prostate cancer drug Xtandi by seizing government patents.

The move is expected to disappoint progressives on Capitol Hill who have been pushing to use what’s known as government “march-in rights” to bring down drug costs.

The review of the decision, announced Tuesday, also initiated a government-wide review of the policy for when to exercise march-in rights, which gives the US government the right to grant licenses to someone other than the patent owner under certain circumstances.

The ...