The Following is a statement from Krisztina Pusok, Director of Policy and Research at ACI:
“ACI strongly supports Congressional efforts seeking to lower prescription drug prices for patients, consumers, and taxpayers. Unfortunately, the “Bringing Low-cost Options and Competition while Keeping Incentives for New Generics (BLOCKING) Act,” would achieve the exact opposite of what it is intended to do by delaying patient access to affordable generic medicines and keeping drug prices higher for patients. The BLOCKING Act should NOT be included in any year-end legislative package!
We are concerned that, in its current form, the BLOCKING Act would undercut the 180-day market exclusivity provided by the Hatch Waxman Act which has brought generic drugs to patients sooner. This would majorly impact drug costs and availability. Delays of only one generic medicine are estimated to increase prescription drug costs by $1.7 billion on average for each generic drug delayed. This burden on patients and consumers is further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic making it more difficult for generic manufacturers to gain approval within the median approval timelines.
As prescription drug prices in the U.S. continue to rise, we believe that Congress should prioritize ensuring that generic manufacturers have proper incentives to bring lower-cost medications to the market. This will not be achieved by considering legislation like the BLOCKING Act which will only delay access to new affordable generic medicines.”