Amarin Corp Plc (AMRN)

[relocatedmetsfan]

On Axios today...”Big Pharma's GOP firewall is weakening”

Congressional Republicans are increasingly open to cracking down on the tactics pharmaceutical companies use to keep competition at bay — changes that were once a non-starter for the GOP.

Why it matters: Critics say drug companies manipulate the patent system to extend their monopolies and keep prices high. The industry has billions of dollars on the line as lawmakers take a closer look at changing those patent rules.

The big picture: House Democrats are "actively looking into potential solutions to patent abuses by companies that delay cheaper generics from coming to market," according to a Democratic aide. And Republicans are more open to that idea than ever before.

"I think it’s terrible that Big Pharma sort of abuses the system to try to sort of evergreen these patents and keep them around forever, and I think it’s part of the answer," Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said.
"I'm open to looking at a lot of things, and I think maybe Big Pharma might be more cooperative if they thought we might actually limit the exclusivity," he added.

It's not just flame-throwers like Paul who are talking about this.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she's introducing legislation soon that's "aimed at some of the gaming of the system that we see going on.”
"I think it's time to look at the broader issue of whether the way in which companies are protecting their patented drugs is leading to higher costs," Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said.
In the past, Republicans were quick to defend the existing patent system, saying it's a necessary incentive for innovation, while they avoided defending individual bad actors. But many members' tone, at least, is changing, and they aren't ruling out reform.
And drug companies are getting worried about the GOP's interest in patents, according to a GOP lobbyist who works with the companies.