President Trump’s first year in office has seen a record number of generic drugs approved for sale, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services. The Food and Drug Administration approved 1,027 generic drugs in 2017. The previous record of 800 approvals was set in 2016.
The FDA has been trying to allow drugs to enter the market faster as a way to lower costs and provide more options for patients, according to Scott Gottlieb, FDA commissioner.
A bill that makes it easier for generic drugs to compete against brand names is making its way through Congress as well. The bill would prevent drug companies from using tactics to delay cheaper generic versions of popular drugs from coming to market. It has attracted support from a bipartisan group of Senators.
Asked whether congressional leadership is open to the bill, Sen. Klobuchar said, “I would hope so. They better be, because the public’s getting pretty pissed about drug prices.”