E-DRUG: Gore on generics and patent extension
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[copied from PHARM-POLICY with thanks; WB]
This is a Report by Lisa Richwine on Gore's welcome comments
regarding patent extention campaigns, including the one by
Schering-Plough for Claritin, and the importance of generic
drug substition. Now if the US government can stop trying
to prevent foreign governments from promoting generics,
that would be good too.
Gore's comments could be seen as a dig against Bradley,
who as the Senator from New Jersey, frequently went to
bat for Merck, Bristol-Mysers, J&J, etc.
Jamie
Gore vows to promote access to generic drugs
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Al Gore on Monday accused
some brand-name drug makers of harming consumers by unfairly
delaying access to cheaper generic medication, a practice he
vowed to stop if elected president.
Gore said he opposed legislation backed by New Jersey drug maker
Schering-Plough Corp. that could prolong the patent life of its
popular allergy pill Claritin for up to three additional years.
He said the bill exemplified drug company efforts to protect
profits at the expense of consumers, who must wait longer for
less expensive generics to become available.
Some makers of brand-name drugs ``are trying to pull the wool
over the eyes of Congress and tag the American people with more
of these absurdly high pharmaceutical prices,'' said Gore, who
spoke to reporters at a pharmacy in northwest Washington.
Gore, who is trying to fend off a challenge from former Sen. Bill
Bradley for the Democratic presidential nomination, pledged that
if he was elected president, he would take steps to get generic
drugs onto the market sooner after patents expired.
For example, any request for added patent time would require an
independent cost analysis, Gore said. It would also have to move
through Congress as a separate piece of legislation, not be
tucked unnoticed into a larger bill, he said.
Schering-Plough's campaign, which industry analysts say could
secure billions of dollars in future revenues, is only the latest
waged by a drug company, Gore said.
``This is one reason people are suffering with the high
medication prices,'' he said.
Bradley on Monday launched his fiercest attack yet on Gore,
accusing the Democratic front-runner of abandoning the principle
of providing all Americans with health care.
But Gore said his defense of generic drugs was just one part of a
broad health care plan he called ``the boldest new step'' since
Medicare and Medicaid.
Schering-Plough said Monday that it was merely seeking to restore
time lost while awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval to
market Claritin, the world's best-selling antihistamine, with
$1.9 billion in 1998 U.S. sales.
Legislation in Congress would not automatically extend Claritin's
patent protection but would set up an independent review panel to
consider the request, a company spokeswoman said.
``It attempts to remove politics out of the process by
establishing an independent process,'' spokeswoman Denise Foy
said.
REUTERS 11-08-99
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James Love / Director, Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org / love@cptech.org
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 202.387.8030 / fax 202.234.5176
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