Thursday, May 08, 2008

Generics slam proposed drug patent rules

From the National Post:
New patent rules just proposed by the federal government would delay generic versions of Lipitor, Viagra and several other blockbuster drugs by as much as two years, costing consumers and taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually, generic companies are warning.

The government says the regulations would simply restore fairness and stability to the brand-name industry after two court rulings put unexpected new curbs on the practice of "evergreening" -- filing new patents on a drug in an attempt to stave off generic competition.

Generic firms, which stand to lose business as a result of the suggested amendments, call the move an unjustified sop to the brand-name manufacturer. ...more

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