Families USA Statement for the Record for the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Hearing on “Medicines and IP: Balancing Innovation and Access”

Families USA submitted a statement for the record for the June 4 House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet hearing on “Medicines and IP: Balancing Innovation and Access.” In the statement, we outline how big drug companies are systematically abusing the U.S. patent system — through patent thickets, product hopping, and pay-for-delay schemes — to limit competition, block affordable generics from reaching the market, and drive up drug prices for families and individuals.

We urge the Subcommittee to advance bipartisan legislation that would close the loopholes drug companies exploit for profit, including the Eliminating Thickets to Increase Competition Act (H.R. 3269) and the Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025 (H.R. 4570). Families USA appreciates the Subcommittee’s focus on this critical issue and looks forward to working with its members to ensure all families can access affordable medications.