The thought of drug makers wielding both a carrot and a stick against rivals (offering cash in lieu of a costly lawsuit to delay generic competition) has raised the ire of Henry Waxman (D-California) for awhile now. The next step (assuming it’s not already buried somewhere in the 2,000+ page bill) will be a ban on licensed generics. The way this might work is a Brand-Name drug maker quickly licenses a copy of its drug as the patent expires; knowing few generic drug companies would fight a costly legal battle when they realize the financial rewards (i.e. 180 days of exclusivity for being the first to market) would be degraded by a licensed generic.
It is quite remarkable that there is no head of Medicare. Maybe that makes it easier for the President to propose all those Medicare cuts.
Larry, maybe we don’t really need a head of Medicare.
It would probably be easier to privatize if there were no leader opposing the move.
Joe, maybe Obama really is going to let Medicare “wither on the vine.”
The thought of drug makers wielding both a carrot and a stick against rivals (offering cash in lieu of a costly lawsuit to delay generic competition) has raised the ire of Henry Waxman (D-California) for awhile now. The next step (assuming it’s not already buried somewhere in the 2,000+ page bill) will be a ban on licensed generics. The way this might work is a Brand-Name drug maker quickly licenses a copy of its drug as the patent expires; knowing few generic drug companies would fight a costly legal battle when they realize the financial rewards (i.e. 180 days of exclusivity for being the first to market) would be degraded by a licensed generic.