2007-02-16 | permalink

U.S. Congress proposes generic biotech drugs

U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday introduced bills that would clear the way for generic competition in biotech drugs — a health care shift that would save Missouri employers and patients $1.5 billion over 10 years, said one study. In Illinois, that savings would be nearly $3 billion over 10 years, according to the report set for release today by Express Scripts Inc., a Maryland Heights-based pharmacy-benefits manager. The national benefit over 10 years would be $71 billion. ”The dollars to be saved are really big — and probably even bigger than what we’ve put into this study,” which used conservative assumptions, said Steve Miller, Express Scripts’ chief medical officer.

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch, USA: Congress proposes generic biotech drugs
• Financial Times, UK: Generic drugs law plans threaten makers
• Bloomberg, USA: Barr, General Motors lobbying U.S. to allow first copies of biotech drugs