U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Tuesday, April 30, praised the passage of major legislation to help lower the price of prescription drugs, including two bills she leads in the Senate.

According to a news release, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act would limit anticompetitive pay-for-delay deals that prevent or delay the introduction of affordable follow-on versions of branded pharmaceuticals. The Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics Act is designed to curb the abuse of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration petition process and increase access to affordable prescription drugs. The Klobuchar-backed Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples Act is intended to combat anticompetitive practices used by some brand-name pharmaceutical and biologic companies to delay the approval of lower-cost generic drugs.

"The skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs in our country is an urgent problem, but there are solutions on the table to help Americans access the critical medications they need at prices they can afford," Klobuchar stated in the news release. "With the passage of my bills out of the House Judiciary Committee today, we are one step closer to ending the unfair practices that drive up prescription drug costs."

• The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act, led in the Senate by Klobuchar and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, would enhance the Federal Trade Commission's ability to crack down on anticompetitive patent settlement agreements in which branded pharmaceutical companies pay their competitors to delay the introduction of more affordable generic drugs and biosimilars. Deterring "pay-for-delay" deals would make some critical prescriptions more affordable for patients and reduce costs on the health care system.

• The Stop STALLING Act, led in the Senate by Klobuchar and Grassley, would reduce the incentives for branded pharmaceutical companies to use the FDA petitioning process to interfere with the regulatory approval of generics and biosimilars that would compete with their own products, a tactic that delays patient access to more affordable medications. The bill would give the Federal Trade Commission enhanced authority to take action against those who file sham petitions.

• The CREATES Act, led in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Grassley with Klobuchar, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and others would combat anticompetitive practices used by some brand-name pharmaceutical and biologic companies to delay the approval of lower-cost generic drugs. The bill would address two types of delaying tactics: First, when brand-name drug companies prevent potential generic competitors from obtaining samples of a product; and second when brand-name drug companies block their generic competitors from participating in shared safety programs to ensure drugs are used safely. Both of these tactics prevent generic companies from performing the necessary testing and distribution necessary for FDA approval. By combating these anti-competitive practices, the CREATES Act is intended to help consumers access lower-cost generic drugs more quickly.