Cornyn to launch bill against ‘patent thickets’

Media Article 20 Jun 2019

A Republican senator wants to clamp down on drug companies that use multiple patents to extend their monopolies, colloquially known as “patent thickets.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) plans to introduce a bill soon that would give the Federal Trade Commission authority to sue drugmakers that game the patent system or “product hop” by making minor formula adjustments to prevent generic substitutions.

Cornyn sits on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees, both of which will collaborate on the drug-pricing package that Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) says he wants wrapped up by June or July.

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