Ranking Member Cassidy, Durbin Introduce Legislation to Lower Drug Prices, Promote Generic Competition

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation to lower prescription drug costs for American patients . The Reforming Evergreening and Manipulation that Extends Drug Years (REMEDY) Act, promotes competition by removing barriers to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for lower-cost generic drugs.

"No matter where I go in Louisiana people always mention the high cost of prescription drugs," said Dr. Cassidy. "To lower the cost of drugs we need to increase competition. Getting generics to market faster increases access and saves money for patients and taxpayers."

"Americans are forced to pay sky-high prescription drug costs because pharmaceutical manufacturers often game the patent system to extend their monopolies, avoiding competition from lower-cost generic drugs. These abusive practices do not promote innovative research and don't serve the best interests of patients," said Senator Durbin. "The REMEDY Act will increase competition and help reduce drug costs by curbing patent manipulation by Big Pharma."

The REMEDY Act would narrow the scope of the 30-month stay by requiring the brand-name manufacturer, upon FDA approval of its drug, to identify which single patent would receive the 30-month stay if challenged.

The REMEDY Act would remove incentives for drug manufacturers to file additional patents, and would lift barriers that delay generic market entry. Under this policy, generic drug manufacturers would be allowed to enter the market more easily, by having more certainty and visibility into the patent landscape.