Trending News Today: Gilead HCV Drug Patents Challenged

US District Judge Vince Chhabria blocked a request from 18 states and the District of Columbia to reinstate subsidies for Americans purchasing individual health plans, according to California Healthline. The states requested that the subsidies be provided through an emergency restraining order. However, the federal judge said that many states have already prepared for subsidy cuts and the emergency relief would be counterproductive, according to the article.

Yesterday, key Democratic leaders introduced a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug costs, The Hill reported. The new legislation would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate with manufacturers in an effort to drive down drug costs, which has gained support from Democrats in the past. While President Donald Trump has suggested he may support such a policy, he has yet to issue his opinion about the proposal, according to the article.

The Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge recently challenged Gilead’s patents for its hepatitis C virus drug sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) through a petition filed with the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board, according to Bloomberg. The group is alleging that the manufacturer has made insignificant changes to the drug without changing the active ingredient or crystalline structure of sofosbuvir, according to the article. Currently, there are 9 patents for sofosbuvir, but all are not being challenged. The nonprofit consumer group said they are challenging intellectual property rights that block generics from emerging, according to the article.