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submitted 11 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

The Biden administration on Thursday asserted its authority to seize the patents of certain costly medications in a new push to slash high drug prices and promote more pharmaceutical competition.

The administration unveiled a framework outlining the factors federal agencies should consider in deciding whether to use a controversial policy, known as march-in rights, to break the patents of drugs that were developed with federal funds but are not widely accessible to the public. For the first time, officials can now factor in a medication’s price — a change that could have big implications for drugmakers depending on how the government uses the powers.

“When drug companies won’t sell taxpayer-funded drugs at reasonable prices, we will be prepared to allow other companies to provide those drugs for less,” White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard said during a call with reporters Wednesday.

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[-] aniki@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago

Anything but ~~metric~~ universal healthcare.

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[-] Furbag@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

"Won't someone think of the billion dollar drug corporation? They're the real victims of this abuse of executive power!" - Republicans right now, probably.

[-] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

"Seize" is a really weird term to apply to something that only exists as an idea. Especially an idea that only has meaning because governments actively enforce it. It would make more sense to say Biden plans to end enforcement of the relevant patents.

It seems like the language of the article is designed to paint Biden's plan in a bad light.

[-] linuxdweeb@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago

“When drug companies won’t sell taxpayer-funded drugs at reasonable prices, we will be prepared to allow other companies to provide those drugs for less,”

Cue the legal bickering over what counts as "reasonable". I think the definition is clear: the only reasonable price for medicine is the lowest possible price. And the only way to ensure that is to not award drug patents in the first place (at all, but especially if development was funded by taxpayers).

[-] mydude@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

With the R's and D's history of both being completely owned by the same oligarchs in mind, this sounds like a framework that will be used to crush smaller pharmaceutical companies and give patents to the all ready huge ones... I might just be super critical, correct me if I'm wrong...

[-] Uncle_Bagel@midwest.social 3 points 11 months ago

It's not like there is a cottage industry of small time pharmaceutical companies these days. The smaller ones that exist mostly just focus on making generic forms of drugs that jave expired patents.

[-] mydude@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Yes, true, but what i'm trying to ask is; is there any safeguard in the bill preventing it from being used to crush the few smaller ones?

[-] Chakravanti@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

He does this in time, I won't feel bad for voting for him just to stop Trump's immenant objective of Tyrrany of Obvious Lies and Theft.

[-] Coldgoron@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

“You’re killing me”! - Drug Companies “Good” -Me

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this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
780 points (99.2% liked)

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