U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) reintroduced legislation Thursday aimed at lowering prescription drug costs by speeding generic medications to market.
A previous version of the “Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act” did not pass into law in a prior Congress, likely due to the powerful influence of the pharmaceutical lobby.
The bipartisan bill would give the Food and Drug Administration stronger authority to reject citizen petitions filed to delay approval of generic drugs. The lawmakers said some companies misuse the petition process to extend patent protections and block competitors.
“We know that increasing generic drug competition is key to lowering prescription drug prices for individuals and reducing drug spending overall,” said Collins, Maine’s senior senator. “On average, generic drugs cost 80 to 85 percent less than their brand-name equivalents.”
Shaheen, who is retiring when she completes her current term, said the legislation would help families manage health care costs.
“By increasing competition, our bipartisan legislation would help bring more generic drugs to the market and reduce costs for the Granite State families who rely on them,” she said.Collins also joined Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., in introducing separate legislation to accelerate approval of generic drugs through “skinny label” FDA approvals.
