Generic Drugs
The budget deal passed by Congress on January 9 omitted in the last days of negotiation a measure called the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act (S. 974). Sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (VTD), the bill would prevent brandname drug companies from using delaying tactics to prevent cheaper generic competitors from entering the market. It would do so by enabling generic drug makers to file an injunction in Federal court to prevent such tactics. The Food and Drug Administration requires generic drug manufacturers to prove that a proposed alternative version of a drug is chemically identical…