Rob Sahr on the Administration’s Aggressive Approach to Bayh-Dole Compliance
In our previous Mintz IRA Update, we covered the Biden administration’s proposal exploring the use of “march-in rights” granted under the Bayh-Doyle Act (the “Act”) to seize pharmaceutical patents if the administration...more
The Biden administration appears steadfast in its efforts to lower prescription drug costs and continues to explore multiple avenues — even as the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program continues to move forward — to tackle...more
On February 6, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) commented in support of what would be a historic expansion of government march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act in response to the release of the National Institute...more
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took the next step in its long-standing effort to encourage lower prices and increase competition in the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the Biden administration’s whole government...more
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released for public comment a “Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March In-Rights” (“March-In Framework”) on December 8, 2023...more
The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced various actions to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. In one action, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in December 2023 a draft...more
Under the University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act of 1980 (35 U.S.C. §§ 200-212), commonly referred to as the Bayh-Dole Act, the federal government can exercise “march-in” authority in certain circumstances to...more
In an attempt to rein in rising drug prices, the Biden administration unveiled a proposed framework of factors that federal agencies should consider when choosing whether to exercise so-called “march-in rights.” March-in...more
The Situation: On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology ("NIST") released a proposed framework for federal agencies regarding the exercise of the government's march-in rights for federally...more
The Biden Administration recently announced a plan to leverage an old tool in a new way to try to reduce drug costs: exercising “march-in rights” under the Bayh-Dole Act for drugs that were supported by government funding. ...more
Presented as part of its effort to lower what it views as excessive prices for prescription drugs, the Biden administration on December 7, 2023, announced the release of a proposed framework to expand the use of government...more
On December 7, 2023, the Biden administration announced a blueprint for a framework that may be a tough pill to swallow for the pharmaceutical industry. This framework suggests that drug prices should be a crucial factor in...more
Following years of discussion and pressure being applied by certain policymakers (including Senate HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders), the Biden Administration announced that a framework is being put forward by HHS and the...more
The continuing debate as to where to draw the line between encouraging innovation and lowering drug costs was front and center during a Senate HELP Committee confirmation hearing for NIH director nominee Monica Bertagnolli....more
Over the past few years the drumbeat regarding the cost of healthcare in general and drugs in particular has steadily mounted (see "Faux-Populist Patent Fantasies from The New York Times"). Patents are often (and quite...more
In a letter dated March 21, 2023, the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) again refused the request of petitioners to exercise march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act to control the price of a drug. Here, as before, the NIH...more
On January 4, 2021, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published proposed rules for comment changing regulations promulgated under the Bayh-Dole Act (35 U.S.C. §§ 200-204), which allow businesses and...more
March-in Rights and Compulsory Licensing of Biopharmaceutical Inventions - Very few topics in international intellectual property have been as controversial as compulsory licensing. In the US, consumer groups have...more
In a letter sent earlier this month to Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and Director Francis S. Collins of the National Institutes of Health, fifty members of the U.S. House...more