Driving Access to Affordable Drugs
Why Employers Care
Employers have a direct and growing interest in patent reform policies and other measures that expand access to lower-cost generics and biosimilars. When patents on brand-name drugs expire, the timely introduction of biosimilars and generics leads to greater market competition and lower prescription drug prices, helping reduce overall health care costs for both employers and their employees. However, current regulatory and patent system inefficiencies often delay this access. That’s why employers support the following reforms to create a more transparent, competitive pharmaceutical marketplace, including:
- Streamlining biosimilar interchangeability requirements;
- Improving coordination between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to prevent the misuse of patent filings that block competition; and
- Thoughtfully considering international pricing provisions that can impact domestic pricing strategies.
