[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 946 Introduced in Senate (IS)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 946

To enhance competition for prescription drugs by increasing the ability 
 of the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to enforce 
 existing antitrust laws regarding brand name drugs and generic drugs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 29, 2003

Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Feingold, Mr. 
        Kohl, and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; which was 
        read twice and referred to the Committee on the JudiciaryYYYYYY

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enhance competition for prescription drugs by increasing the ability 
 of the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to enforce 
 existing antitrust laws regarding brand name drugs and generic drugs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Drug Competition Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) prescription drug prices are increasing at an alarming 
        rate and are a major worry of many senior citizens and American 
        families;
            (2) there is a potential for companies with patent rights 
        regarding brand name drugs and companies which could 
        manufacture generic versions of such drugs to enter into 
        financial deals that could tend to restrain trade and greatly 
        reduce competition and increase prescription drug expenditures 
        for American citizens; and
            (3) enhancing competition among these companies can 
        significantly reduce prescription drug expenditures for 
        Americans.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to provide timely notice to the Department of Justice 
        and the Federal Trade Commission regarding agreements between 
        companies with patent rights regarding brand name drugs and 
        companies which could manufacture generic versions of such 
        drugs; and
            (2) by providing timely notice, to enhance the 
        effectiveness and efficiency of the enforcement of the 
        antitrust and competition laws of the United States.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) ANDA.--The term ``ANDA'' means an Abbreviated New Drug 
        Application, as defined under section 201(aa) of the Federal 
        Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321(aa)).
            (2) Assistant attorney general.--The term ``Assistant 
        Attorney General'' means the Assistant Attorney General in 
        charge of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
            (3) Brand name drug.--The term ``brand name drug'' means a 
        drug approved under section 505(c) of the Federal Food, Drug, 
        and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(c)).
            (4) Brand name drug company.--The term ``brand name drug 
        company'' means the party that received Food and Drug 
        Administration approval to market a brand name drug pursuant to 
        an NDA, where that drug is the subject of an ANDA, or a party 
        owning or controlling enforcement of any patent listed in the 
        Approved Drug Products With Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations 
        of the Food and Drug Administration for that drug, under 
        section 505(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
        U.S.C. 355(b)).
            (5) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Trade Commission.
            (6) Generic drug.--The term ``generic drug'' means a 
        product that the Food and Drug Administration has approved 
        under section 505(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 
        Act (21 U.S.C. 355(j)).
            (7) Generic drug applicant.--The term ``generic drug 
        applicant'' means a person who has filed or received approval 
        for an ANDA under section 505(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
        Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(j)).
            (8) NDA.--The term ``NDA'' means a New Drug Application, as 
        defined under section 505(b) et seq. of the Federal Food, Drug, 
        and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(b) et seq.)

SEC. 5. NOTIFICATION OF AGREEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Requirement.--A generic drug applicant that has 
        submitted an ANDA containing a certification under section 
        505(j)(2)(vii)(IV) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
        (21 U.S.C. 355(j)(2)(vii)(IV)) and a brand name drug company 
        that enter into an agreement described in paragraph (2), prior 
        to the generic drug that is the subject of the application 
entering the market, shall each file the agreement as required by 
subsection (b).
            (2) Definition.--An agreement described in this paragraph 
        is an agreement regarding--
                    (A) the manufacture, marketing or sale of the brand 
                name drug that is the subject of the generic drug 
                applicant's ANDA;
                    (B) the manufacture, marketing or sale of the 
                generic drug that is the subject of the generic drug 
                applicant's ANDA; or
                    (C) the 180-day period referred to in section 
                505(j)(5)(B)(iv) of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
                Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(j)(5)(B)(iv)) as it applies 
                to such ANDA or to any other ANDA based on the same 
                brand name drug.
    (b) Filing.--
            (1) Agreement.--The generic drug applicant and the brand 
        name drug company entering into an agreement described in 
        subsection (a)(2) shall file with the Assistant Attorney 
        General and the Commission the text of any such agreement, 
        except that the generic drug applicant and the brand-name drug 
        company shall not be required to file an agreement that solely 
        concerns--
                    (A) purchase orders for raw material supplies;
                    (B) equipment and facility contracts;
                    (C) employment or consulting contracts; or
                    (D) packaging and labeling contracts.
            (2) Other agreements.--The generic drug applicant and the 
        brand name drug company entering into an agreement described in 
        subsection (a)(2) shall file with the Assistant Attorney 
        General and the Commission the text of any other agreements not 
        described in subsection (a)(2) between the generic drug 
        applicant and the brand name drug company which are contingent 
        upon, provide a contingent condition for, or are otherwise 
        related to an agreement which must be filed under this Act.
            (3) Description.--In the event that any agreement required 
        to be filed by paragraph (1) or (2) has not been reduced to 
        text, both the generic drug applicant and the brand name drug 
        company shall file written descriptions of the non-textual 
        agreement or agreements that must be filed sufficient to reveal 
        all of the terms of the agreement or agreements.

SEC. 6. FILING DEADLINES.

    Any filing required under section 5 shall be filed with the 
Assistant Attorney General and the Commission not later than 10 
business days after the date the agreements are executed.

SEC. 7. DISCLOSURE EXEMPTION.

    Any information or documentary material filed with the Assistant 
Attorney General or the Commission pursuant to this Act shall be exempt 
from disclosure under section 552 of title 5, and no such information 
or documentary material may be made public, except as may be relevant 
to any administrative or judicial action or proceeding. Nothing in this 
section is intended to prevent disclosure to either body of Congress or 
to any duly authorized committee or subcommittee of the Congress.

SEC. 8. ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Civil Penalty.--Any brand name drug company or generic drug 
applicant which fails to comply with any provision of this Act shall be 
liable for a civil penalty of not more than $11,000, for each day 
during which such entity is in violation of this Act. Such penalty may 
be recovered in a civil action brought by the United States, or brought 
by the Commission in accordance with the procedures established in 
section 16(a)(1) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 56(a)).
    (b) Compliance and Equitable Relief.--If any brand name drug 
company or generic drug applicant fails to comply with any provision of 
this Act, the United States district court may order compliance, and 
may grant such other equitable relief as the court in its discretion 
determines necessary or appropriate, upon application of the Assistant 
Attorney General or the Commission.

SEC. 9. RULEMAKING.

    The Commission, with the concurrence of the Assistant Attorney 
General and by rule in accordance with section 553 of title 5 United 
States Code, consistent with the purposes of this Act--
            (1) may define the terms used in this Act;
            (2) may exempt classes of persons or agreements from the 
        requirements of this Act; and
            (3) may prescribe such other rules as may be necessary and 
        appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 10. SAVINGS CLAUSE.

    Any action taken by the Assistant Attorney General or the 
Commission, or any failure of the Assistant Attorney General or the 
Commission to take action, under this Act shall not bar any proceeding 
or any action with respect to any agreement between a brand name drug 
company and a generic drug applicant at any time under any other 
provision of law, nor shall any filing under this Act constitute or 
create a presumption of any violation of any antitrust or competition 
laws.

SEC. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall--
            (1) take effect 30 days after the date of enactment of this 
        Act; and
            (2) shall apply to agreements described in section 5 that 
        are entered into 30 days after the date of enactment of this 
        Act.
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