Sen. Hassan and Sen. Budd Introduce Medication Competition Act to Speed Up Lower-Cost Biologics
The Medication Competition Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for review. The bill is considered active, but no further actions have been scheduled at this time.
This bill has support from both parties and addresses high drug costs, but it still needs to pass through a busy committee and gain floor time in the Senate.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Smaller biotech and pharmaceutical companies that develop biosimilars often struggle to determine when they can legally enter the market. By requiring HHS to publish clear exclusivity expiration dates, this bill reduces uncertainty and planning costs for biosimilar manufacturers, making it easier for them to compete against large brand-name drugmakers.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Introduced during a high-profile Senate HELP Committee hearing, the Medication Competition Act seeks to dismantle 'patent thickets' by requiring HHS to publish a definitive list of expiration dates for biological drug monopolies, providing a roadmap for biosimilar manufacturers.
The Medication Competition Act would mandate that HHS update its 'Purple Book' with precise dates for when brand-name biologics lose exclusivity. While generic advocates cheer the move, pharma trade groups warn it could oversimplify complex patent litigation timelines.
Lawmakers introduced the Medication Competition Act on Thursday, a bill designed to lower costs for cancer and autoimmune treatments by forcing the government to disclose exactly when cheaper biosimilars can enter the market.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Medication Competition Act
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