SENATE OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES COLLINS BILL TO SPEED GENERIC DRUGS TO MARKET 78 To 21

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Senate today passed legislation co-authored by Senator Susan Collins that will save Americans an estimated $60 billion dollars (according to Congressional Budget Office estimates) in prescription drug costs over the next ten years, by making it easier for lower-cost, generic drugs to get to the market quicker.

The bi-partisan bill, The Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act, which Senator Collins authored with Senator John Edwards (D-NC), closes loopholes in the current law that governs the patents on prescription drugs.

"I'm extremely pleased that the Senate has passed this legislation," said Senator Collins. "This represents a giant step forward in lowering the cost of prescription drugs for all Americans. This legislation will benefit everyone from individuals to families to businesses that are struggling to provide a prescription drug benefit as part of their health insurance plans." The Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act was introduced originally by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ). When it became clear that the Schumer-McCain bill did not have enough bi-partisan support to move beyond the Senate Health Committee, Senators Collins and Edwards crafted a bi-partisan compromise that became known as the Edwards-Collins substitute. That bill, which has the full support of Senators McCain and Schumer, was successfully voted out of committee 16-5 and today passed the full Senate by a vote of 78 to 21.

Today's Washington Post editorialized "The Senate should pass the Edwards-Collins bill whatever the fate of the Medicare drug proposal."