Collins, Nadler introduce Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act

WASHINGTON – Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, today introduced the bipartisan Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act. This legislation strengthens the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ability to challenge settlement agreements between large brand-name drug companies and generic drug companies in court, which could help lower prescription drug prices for Americans. The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act will be marked up in the House Judiciary Committee on April 30, 2019. “Drug companies are using pay-for-delay agreements to make the marketplace less competitive and less innovative,” said Collins. “By ensuring companies can’t employ these tactics to discourage competition, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would expand patient choice and lower prescription costs.”“I’m proud to introduce the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act which prohibits settlement agreements where a branded drug firm pays a potential generic competitor to abandon a patent challenge and delay entering the market with a lower-cost generic product,” said Nadler. “This legislation addresses the critical need to lower the soaring cost of prescription drugs, which is jeopardizing the health and well-being of millions of American patients. I look forward to moving this bipartisan bill out of the Judiciary Committee and to the House floor very quickly.” Pay-for-delay agreements prevent access to more affordable generic and biosimilar drugs, costing consumers and the government billions of dollars in higher drug costs. By establishing that pay-for-delay agreements are illegal under antitrust laws, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would help more affordable generics enter the market and give patients more options. The Senate companion bill, S. 64, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act,  was introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), together with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). as original cosponsors on January 9, 2019.