Biden Administration to Use March-In Rights to Lower Drug Prices

New policy allows government to license patents of high-priced drugs developed with taxpayer funding, sparking praise from progressives and criticism from Republicans and economists.

Biden administration announces plan to use march-in rights to license patents of high-priced drugs developed with government funding to other manufacturers.
March-in rights, part of the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, have never been used before and allow the government to intervene when products developed with federal funding are not made available to the public on 'reasonable terms'.
The policy has been praised by progressives, including Senator Bernie Sanders, but criticized by Republicans and some economists who argue it could stifle innovation and investment in the pharmaceutical industry.
The White House has not yet identified any specific drugs for this action, and the policy will be open to public comment for 60 days before a final memorandum is issued.
Despite the new policy, some experts argue that the majority of drug patents are unrelated to government-funded research, limiting the potential impact of the policy.