Generic drugs

"Bills would close a loophole used by brand name drug companies to delay market introduction of affordable generic drugs "

October 14, 2009 -- (Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and David Vitter (R-LA) today introduced legislation to provide patients with faster access to affordable prescription drugs. The bipartisan Access to Affordable Medicines Act would close a loophole some brand name drug companies exploit that needlessly and unfairly delays the entry of safe, lower-cost generic drugs to the consumer market.    » read more »

Brown says creation of approval process for biogenerics and shorter monopoly period will lower health costs, improve medical care

July 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding legislation to improve access to generic biologic drugs. A video of the speech can be viewed below.

Biologic drugs, which treat cancer, Parkinson’s, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis, are expected to make up 50 percent of the pharmaceutical marketplace by 2020. Despite this, there is no approval process for generic biologics, leading to monopolies which cause high drug prices and stifle innovation.    » read more »

Kohl bill would save consumers $3.5 billion per year, according to FTC

6/23/09 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl today released the following statement on the announcement from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz that banning for pay-for-delay settlements that keep generic drugs off the market would save consumers at least $3.5 billion per year, and provide significant cost savings for federal government, which pays approximately one-third of all prescription drug costs.    » read more »

Definitive agreement to acquire EBEWE Pharma's specialty injectables business for EUR 925 million (USD 1.2 billion) in an all-cash transaction

May 20, 2009 -- Basel, May 20, 2009 - Novartis has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the specialty generic injectables business of EBEWE Pharma, providing Sandoz - the Group's generic pharmaceuticals division - an opportunity to create a strong global platform for future growth while improving access for patients worldwide to many generic oncology medicines.

Under terms of the agreement, Novartis will acquire this business for EUR 925 million (USD 1.2 billion) in cash. Excluded from this transaction is EBEWE Pharma's separate injectable neurological products business.    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—AARP today applauded the introduction of bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act, introduced by Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), will create a needed pathway for the approval of safe generic versions of costly biologic drugs. A statement from AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond follows:

“Biologic drugs are treating some of the most devastating diseases Americans face, like cancer, anemia and multiple sclerosis. But for too many people, these life-saving medicines are simply out of reach because of their overwhelming price tags.    » read more »

06/17/2008 -- BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explain the long delays in getting new generic prescription drugs out on the market.

People across Massachusetts and throughout the nation are facing rising costs for medications they depend on every day. For some, especially the elderly and low-income families, affordable generic drugs can be the difference between life and death.

The FDA is currently required to review a generic drug application within 180 days. However, the median approval time for a generic drug application now takes longer than 21 months - well beyond the 180 day requirement. These delays create a serious backlog of applications.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon was joined by 17 other states and the District of Columbia today in filing a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies Abbott Laboratories and Fournier. The lawsuit alleges that the companies conspired to violate antitrust laws in delaying the availability of a cheaper, generic version of the cholesterol drug TriCor. TriCor accounted for over one billion dollars in sales for Abbott one year ago.    » read more »

BALTIMORE, MD (March 18, 2008) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today filed suit against Abbott Laboratories and French drug company Fournier Industrie et Sante alleging that the firms violated state and federal antitrust laws by delaying the availability of cheaper, generic versions of TriCor, a cholesterol drug which last year accounted for over one billion dollars of Abbott’s sales.    » read more »

Abbott and French drug company face allegations they blocked generic versions of a cholesterol drug

March 18, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that Florida and 18 states have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories and French drug company Fournier Industrie et Sante and Laboratories Fournier, S.A., charging the companies with blocking a cheaper, generic version of prescription drug TriCor.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- LOS ANGELES -- California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today sued Abbott Laboratories and French drug company Fournier for devising “an elaborate scheme” to block less expensive generic versions of TriCor, a drug that controls cholesterol.    » read more »