In a roll call vote, the Eshoo/Barton amendment passed by a vote of 47 to 11. A number of consumer groups are issuing statements. This is the KEI statement on the vote.
James Love, Director Knowledge Ecology International (KEI),
(+1) (202) 361-3040, james.love@keionline.org
“Health Care reform is both about extending coverage to everyone, and being smarter about how we spend money. A 12.5 year or more monopoly for biologic medicines, without any safeguards to protect consumers and taxpayers is hardly smart. Congress could have embraced a shorter monopoly, or provided protections against excessive pricing. The Eshoo/Barton amendment also make it easier for companies extend the monopoly, through small changes in the products, and by creating areas where litigtation over nuances in the incumbent friendly rules will block generics. The negotiations over biogenerics is an example of how the US Congress can be controlled by big money, on a topic that concerns everyone as consumers, employers and taxpayers. We can’t have a sustainable system for access health care without paying attention to costs.”