美国总统特朗普计划提议修改 Hatch-Waxman 法案中的仿制药专营期条款,以便压缩首个仿制药在市场上面临竞争对手之前的时间。180 天专营权将会从第二个 ANDA 可批准之时开始计算,而不是在首个仿制药上市之时,如果这一变化得以实施,将可能是对 Hatch-Waxman 法案框架的重大改变。
2 月 12 日发布的 2019 财年预算请求中,特朗普提议首仿药 180 天专营权开始于第二件 ANDA 被确定为可批准但被首仿药专营权阻碍之时。该提案加上预算中包括的其它条款旨在降低药价。关于专营权修订的细节很少,但仿制药行业利益攸关方对此却很担心。提案原文如下:
“预算案提议赋予 FDA 更大的权力,通过激励仿制药制造商之间的更多竞争,更快地将仿制药推向市场。该提案将为医疗保险(Medicare)带来可观的节约。预算案提议确保获得 180 天专营权的首仿药申请人不会不合理地和无限期地阻止后续仿制药在专营期之后进入市场。提案能够使仅被首个申请人的 180 天专营权阻碍的后续仿制药申请人的暂时批准,在首个仿制药申请人尚未获得最终批准的情况下,触发首个申请人的 180 天专营权。这意味着首仿申报者的专营期将立即开始计时。该提案将增强竞争并有助于更及时地获得仿制药。”
Hyman, Phelps 和 McNamara 律所的 Kurt Karst 律师表示,该提案存在问题,因为这会给系统带来不确定性。现在专营权没收体系通过法院系统和公开专利立卷很大程度上是透明的。Karst 表示,首仿药申请人无法知道 FDA 何时会对竞争 ANDA 采取行动,这意味着他们可能必须准备好尽快上市自己的申请。Karst 表示,“作为首个申请人,你完全失去了控制权。这是对仿制药行业非常不利的计划。”在目前框架下,当品牌药的首仿药被批准时,申办人有时间推出产品。一旦产品上市,就会触发六个月的专营权,该产品的其它仿制药不会上市销售。特朗普的提案将在另一 ANDA 获得暂时批准时启动 180 天专营权计时。Karst 表示,这可能会伤害到首个申报者。该提案旨在防止钻系统的空子。但 Karst 表示,这一想法很可能会妨碍寻求 180 天专营权,这可能会导致减少对品牌产品专利的挑战,并最终减少仿制药数量。“可能会与原打算拥有的效果相反。”
Lachman 咨询公司高级顾问、FDA 仿制药办公室前代理主任 Bob Pollock 表示,如果后续申请人在首仿申请人获得最终批准之前获得暂时批准,该提案将触发 180 天专营权。尽管在某些情况下这可能会让仿制药申请人更快地进入市场,但可能会产生还没有被调查清楚的意向外后果。“可能有某些原因导致首仿申请人无法获得最终批准,而不是寻求延迟进入市场。从历史经验看,对 Hatch-Waxman 法案的小小调整可能会产生意向外后果,这些后果最初可能并不显而易见。但几个月或几年后,我们发现调整实际上导致了比调整所解决的问题更大的问题。所以在没有完全理解改变会如何影响行业的情况下,要谨慎地支持和接受改变。”
普享药协会(AAM)高级副总兼法律总顾问 Jeff Francer 在 2 月 9 日的声明中表示,尽管行业协会没有看到这一想法的细节,但“任何削弱这一对仿制药竞争激励的提案都应得到密切关注,180 天专营权对仿制药竞争的激励为患者带来了极大节约。”Francer 表示,“为了鼓励进一步的仿制药竞争,特朗普总统应把重点放在一些品牌药公司对专利体系的滥用上,这使得药价对患者和纳税人不合理地上涨。”
这一变化的实施需要立法,这可能很难通过。鉴于 2018 年是选举年,通过国会移交主要议案的可能性不大。这个提案很可能会与大部分预算要求一道被立法者驳回。事实上,特朗普 2018 财年的预算请求在到达国会时很大部分被拒绝。特朗普曾提议 FDA 从使用者付费中获得更多运营预算,这需要修改 FDA 与业界之间已经达成的协议。【美总统预算提案公布,引发医药界一片哗然 2017/03/17】
Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (Hatch-Waxman Act)
Mandatory Reading:
Regulatory Affairs (Reg)
Intellectual Property (IP)
Quality Assurance (QA)
Legal Department
Work Suggestions:
Reg: Ensure the company's drug applications comply with the new drug application procedures and bioequivalence standards.
IP: Monitor patent term extensions and the impact on the company's patent strategy.
QA: Verify that manufacturing processes meet the identity, strength, quality, and purity requirements.
Legal Department: Advise on patent infringement issues and the legal implications of abbreviated new drug applications.
Scope of Application: The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 applies to chemical drugs, including new molecular entities and generic drugs, in the United States. It is intended for regulatory bodies, pharmaceutical companies, and legal entities involved in drug development and approval processes.
Key Points Summary:
Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs): The Act allows for the streamlined approval of generic drugs by submitting abbreviated applications showing bioequivalence to the listed drug, without repeating costly and time-consuming clinical trials.
Patent Term Restoration: Offers a mechanism to extend the effective patent life of a drug to partially compensate for the time lost during the regulatory review process, up to a maximum of five years.
Data Exclusivity: Provides a period of data exclusivity, during which the FDA cannot approve ANDAs for other companies that rely on the innovator's safety and efficacy data.
Patent Certification: Requires ANDA applicants to certify about the listed drug's patents or periods of exclusivity, which can trigger a patent infringement lawsuit.
Regulatory Review Period: Defines the regulatory review period for calculating patent term extensions and sets rules for due diligence during the application process.
Conclusion: The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 is a landmark legislation that balances the need for accessible, affordable medications with the incentive for innovation. It has significantly impacted the pharmaceutical industry by fostering competition and ensuring that both innovator and generic drug companies have clear pathways to market. The above points are not exhaustive; for comprehensive understanding, the full text of the Act should be consulted.