God, I love Lina Khan. One of Biden’s best appointments! Via MedPage, some interesting news:
Federal regulators are challenging patents on 20 brand-name drugs, including the blockbuster weight-loss injection semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), in the latest effort by the Biden administration targeting pharmaceutical industry practices that drive up prices.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday sent warning letters to 10 drugmakersopens in a new tab or window, taking issue with patents on popular drugs for weight loss, diabetes, asthma, and other reparatory conditions. The letters allege that certain patents filed by Novo Nordisk, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, and seven other companies are inaccurate or misleading.
Brand-name drugmakers use patents to protect their medicines and stave off cheaper, generic medicines. Most blockbuster drugs are protected by dozens of patents covering various ingredients, manufacturing processes, and intellectual property. Generic drugmakers can only launch their own cheaper versions if the patents have expired or are successfully challenged in court.
“By filing bogus patent listings, pharma companies block competition and inflate the cost of prescription drugs, forcing Americans to pay sky-high prices for medicines they rely on,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan, in a statement.
