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WASHINGTON — Generic makers heralded the fiscal year 2014 budget proposed last week by the Obama administration for its embrace of generic drugs, but were critical of its provisions on patent settlements and rebates.

WASHINGTON — The question of whether a generic drug company can be held liable for harmful side effects from its medicines goes before the Supreme Court Tuesday in a case involving a New Hampshire woman who sustained several injuries after taking a generic pain drug.

NEW YORK — The director of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Generic Drugs is stepping down, according to published reports.

Pharmalot, a blog run by journalist Ed Silverman, reported that Greg Geba is leaving the office over differences resulting from a recent reorganization, effective Friday.

NEW YORK — The stakes are high in a case involving generic drug maker Actavis and the Federal Trade Commission that will soon go before the Supreme Court, the head of a generic drug industry lobbying group said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The case, FTC v. Actavis, will go before the high court on March 25 and may decide the future of patent settlements between branded and generic drug companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Association filed an amicus brief with the court last week defending the settlements as beneficial to consumers.

The battle over "pay for delay" continues to heat up, and its resolution likely won't come until the nation's highest court decides on the legality of the practice.

Alabama's Supreme Court ruled in January that brand-name drug companies could be sued if patients suffer complications from generic versions of their medicines, according to published reports. According to the New York Times, an Alabama man named Danny Weeks claimed he developed tardive dyskinesia after taking generic versions of Pfizer's acid reflux drug Reglan (metoclopramide). Pfizer acquired rights to the drug when it bought Wyeth in 2009, and generic drug makers Teva and Actavis, now owned by Watson, make generic versions.

NEW YORK — Republican and Democratic senators have re-introduced legislation that would ban patent settlements between branded and generic drug companies that critics allege violate antitrust laws, according to published reports.

The world market for generic drugs will jump more than 15% this year and reach a global total of $127.8 billion, a British market research firm predicted.

WASHINGTON — A new study indicates that the public bears "unnecessary expense" when generic drugs aren't used.

NEW YORK — The Supreme Court will review settlements between branded and generic drug companies that critics say delay patients' access to cheaper drug treatments, according to published reports.

Politico reported that the justices had agreed to hear three cases, including Federal Trade Commission v. Watson Pharmaceuticals, involving settlements between branded and generic drug companies that critics deride as "pay-for-delay" deals.

LONDON — The global market for generic drugs will reach more than $125 billion next year, according to a new report by a British market-research firm.

NEW YORK — The American Medical Association has come out in favor of legislation to stop deals between branded and generic drug makers that critics blame for delaying entry of generics into the market, according to published reports.

Forbes reported that the AMA would support federal legislation to ban so-called "pay-for-delay" settlements. The AMA joins the Federal Trade Commission, which has strongly criticized the settlements