Copyright 2000 The National Journal, Inc.
The National Journal
March 25, 2000
SECTION: HEALTH CARE; Pg. 951; Vol. 32, No. 13
LENGTH: 116 words
HEADLINE:
The Dilemma: Cost vs. Innovation
BODY:
As it weighs whether to reopen the
Hatch-Waxman Act,
which governs the length of the patent
for a brand-name drug,
Congress faces competing demands. On the one hand,
the cost of
pharmaceuticals has skyrocketed in recent years, far
outstripping
medical inflation as a whole. One way to potentially lower the
cost of pharmaceuticals would be to reduce the length of the
patent on a
brand-name drug so that generic drugs would become
available more quickly.
But some pharmaceutical companies warn
that reducing the patent length would
force them to cut back on
research and development. That could prevent
discoveries of
lifesaving and life-enhancing drugs.
LOAD-DATE: March 29, 2000 
