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More Affordable Drugs: Ending Patent Blocks on Safety Strategies to Boost Competition

This law aims to make it easier for cheaper, generic or biosimilar versions of drugs to come to market. It prevents companies from using patents on drug safety strategies (REMS) to block competition, potentially speeding up access to more affordable treatment options.
Key points
Companies cannot use patents on drug safety plans (REMS) to delay cheaper generic or biosimilar drugs from entering the market.
Generic and biosimilar manufacturers can use necessary safety information without facing delays from patent disputes over that information.
The goal is to increase competition and potentially lower the cost of prescription drugs.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_S_4918
Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]
Process start date: 2022-09-22
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-04-17
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Increasing Prescription Drug Competition Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_S_4918.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2022-09-22.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Companies cannot use patents on drug safety plans (REMS) to delay cheaper generic or biosimilar drugs from entering the market.
  • Generic and biosimilar manufacturers can use necessary safety information without facing delays from patent disputes over that information.
  • The goal is to increase competition and potentially lower the cost of prescription drugs.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-29.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Health Economy