Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Senators are making preparations to try to pass a package of patent reform bills and other measures aimed at lowering drug prices by unanimous consent, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The "hotline" — a preliminary step where senators check to see if there are any objections — shows senators are trying to put the bipartisan bills on a fast track.
- It is unclear whether any senators will object and whether the unanimous consent passage can go forward.
- Senate Judiciary Committee spokesman Josh Sorbe confirmed the hotline to Axios. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
What's inside: The measures previously advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year on a bipartisan basis.
- One of the most prominent of the bills is from Sens. John Cornyn and Richard Blumenthal, and seeks to crack down on drug companies delaying competition by setting up "thickets" of patents.
- That bill has now been shrunk from a previous version, and only targets "patent thickets," Cornyn spokesman Tatum Wallace confirmed to Axios.
- That means the legislation leaves out a section targeting another tactic by drug companies known as "product hopping." Leaving that section out could make the measure at least somewhat less controversial.
- Another bill in the package targets "pay for delay" deals that also delay cheaper generic competition.
What's next: Whether the unanimous consent effort on the floor is successful or not, the renewed activity is a sign of the momentum behind these bills.
- They are seen as potential payfors in a year-end health care package.
