Opposition to Bayh-Dole controls

WASHINGTON - A battle is brewing in Congress over attempts to impose price controls and competitive bidding on licensing agreements between businesses and federally funded research institutions.

The "Federal Research Product Commercialization Act" (H.R. 1334), introduced by Rep. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., mandates price controls and competitive bidding for all licensing agreements involving federally funded research.

Wyden's bill requires potential licensees to specify "a formula for determining the price at which the product will be made available to the public." This formula must result in a "reasonable