FTC Votes to Scrutinize High Drug Prices, Patent Listing Abuse

The Federal Trade Commission voted Thursday to adopt a policy statement concerning name-brand drug manufacturers’ improper listing of patents in the FDA’s Orange Book—an issue impacting consumers as pharmaceutical competitiveness and drug costs increase.

The Democratic-led FTC said the statement will put market participants on notice that the agency intends to scrutinize improper listings and determine whether those constitute unfair methods of competition in the generic drug market.

“We’ve all heard time and time again about how drug prices are just sky high,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in the meeting. “Americans pay more for medicines than any other country ...