WASHINGTON -- Public-spirited rhetoric usually masks intense interest-group combat in Washington, D.C., like that over pharmaceutical patents. Health insurers, which barely survived the Clinton administration's assault, are targeting drug-research firms.
The issue is complex: what is the right balance between generating new products and cutting the price of old ones? What to do with 30-month stays in patent infringement actions?
Current law reflects a political compromise running back to 1984. In July, however, the U.S. Senate passed the McCain-Schumer bill, weakening patent protection. The House has refused to go along, so generic-drug interests are attempting to force their bill out of committee through a discharge petition, which requires signatures from a majority of members.