By — Megan Thompson Megan Thompson Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/generic-drugs-delayed-market Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Courts weigh in on generic drug delays Health Jun 28, 2014 9:27 AM EDT PBS NewsHour Weekend’s Megan Thompson spoke with Ed Silverman, author of the Wall Street Journal’s Pharmalot blog. On Saturday, PBS NewsHour Weekend will air an investigation into controversial business practices sometimes used when brand-name drugs go generic. In legal battles over drug patents, a drug company will sometimes make a payment to a generic manufacturer that opponents allege is meant to delay the generic to market. The Federal Trade Commission, which has made fighting the deals one of its top priorities, calls the practice “pay for delay.” The FTC says the deals cost consumers $3.5 billion each year. To learn more about this issue, I spoke to Ed Silverman who writes the Pharmalot blog for the Wall Street Journal. He has covered the pharmaceutical industry for almost 20 years. Silverman said last year’s Supreme Court decision, FTC v. Activis Inc., could open the door to more lawsuits against drug companies engaged in the practice. Silverman also said the deals have gotten more complicated over the years. As he wrote for the Wall Street Journal, courts are currently grappling with what constitutes a “payment.” We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Megan Thompson Megan Thompson Megan Thompson shoots, produces and reports on-camera for PBS NewsHour Weekend. Her report "Costly Generics" earned an Emmy nomination and won Gracie and National Headliner Awards. She was also recently awarded a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship to report on the issue of mental health. Previously, Thompson worked for the PBS shows and series Need to Know, Treasures of New York, WorldFocus and NOW on PBS. Prior to her career in journalism she worked in research and communications on Capitol Hill. She originally hails from the great state of Minnesota and holds a BA from Wellesley College and a MA in Journalism from New York University. @megbthompson
PBS NewsHour Weekend’s Megan Thompson spoke with Ed Silverman, author of the Wall Street Journal’s Pharmalot blog. On Saturday, PBS NewsHour Weekend will air an investigation into controversial business practices sometimes used when brand-name drugs go generic. In legal battles over drug patents, a drug company will sometimes make a payment to a generic manufacturer that opponents allege is meant to delay the generic to market. The Federal Trade Commission, which has made fighting the deals one of its top priorities, calls the practice “pay for delay.” The FTC says the deals cost consumers $3.5 billion each year. To learn more about this issue, I spoke to Ed Silverman who writes the Pharmalot blog for the Wall Street Journal. He has covered the pharmaceutical industry for almost 20 years. Silverman said last year’s Supreme Court decision, FTC v. Activis Inc., could open the door to more lawsuits against drug companies engaged in the practice. Silverman also said the deals have gotten more complicated over the years. As he wrote for the Wall Street Journal, courts are currently grappling with what constitutes a “payment.” We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now