Biosimilars exclusivity in play

President Obama has asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to modify biosimilars provisions in healthcare reform legislation to reduce the exclusivity period for pioneer biologics, congressional staff and industry lobbyists told BioCentury on Thursday. The request came in discussions with the top congressional Democrats this week. Both houses of Congress passed healthcare reform bills providing for 12 years of exclusivity, but Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag and other White House officials as well as Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) have repeatedly called for a 7-year exclusivity period. ...