Congress isn't feeling much urgency to help the fledgling market for biosimilars.
Why it matters: Advocates say that they need lawmakers' help soon, or else drugmakers will see biosimilars as a lost cause and the system will lose its only check on the cost of biologics.
Where it stands: Congress' ideas to enhance competition among traditional generics wouldn't do much for biosimilars — less than a dozen of which are on the market.
What they're saying: Both groups want Congress to alter Medicare's financial incentives to help bolster biosimilars. Davis' group also wants it to speed up patent lawsuits.
The other side: "It’s unclear that anything actually needs to be done on biosimilars as the law is still in its nascent stages," said a senior GOP aide working on drug prices.
Where it stands: The Senate health committee recently proposed accelerating the biosimilar approval process. Sens. John Barrasso and Sherrod Brown also said they'll have bills coming soon.
Yes, but: "I guess the answer ought to be yes. But I don’t know all of the issues yet," Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said when asked about increasing biosimilar competition.
Go deeper: How cheaper drugs are kept off the market
