STAT+: Biden proposal targeting pharma patents spurs industry fears and consumer doubts
The Biden administration's assertion of its authority to exercise "march-in" rights is causing uncertainty over the extent to which drugmakers may lose monopolies and consumers will save money.
Will this be a half a loaf?
After months of deliberation, the Biden administration on Thursday asserted its authority to sidestep patents in order to lower costs for some pricey medicines that were discovered with taxpayer money. But the move, which must still be finalized by an inter-agency working group, is already causing uncertainty over the extent to which drugmakers may lose valuable monopolies and consumers will save money.
This reflects, in part, the seemingly contradictory approach the Biden administration has previously taken toward the highly controversial concept, as well as some open-ended language in the proposal. As a result, the effort is sowing a mix of fear and doubt as the pharmaceutical industry and patients and their supporters try to envision the eventual terms.
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