Generic Makers Paid To Drop Patent Claims

A Federal Trade Commission investigation shows that brand-name pharmaceutical manufacturers have been paying generic drug manufacturers to discontinue patent litigation that would allow the generics to be available to consumers. This means that the brand-name pharmaceuticals remain on the market for a longer period of time, so consumers have to continue paying the full brand-name price. The FTC usually blocks these kinds of agreements because they are anti-competitive and hurt the consumer, but a recent federal circuit court decision may prevent the FTC from doing so again.