Washington, Aug 21: With quiet backing from other drug firms, Eli Lilly is working to reopen one of the few things in medicare legislation that appeared settled — a provision intended to encourage generic-drug makers to challenge brand-drug companies’ patents, Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal reported.
Lilly argues the provision tilts too far in the generic industry’s favour and will lead to costly, wasteful litigation. The generic companies counter that the brand firms are just trying to protect profits by weakening incentives for patent challenges. The generic-drug section is one of two in the medicare bills — along with legalising the importation of medications from other countries — that directly address exploding drug costs. Bureau Report