WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2022) – PhRMA spokesperson Megan Van Etten issued the following statement on the “Patent Trial and Appeal Board Reform Act of 2022:”

“The legislation introduced today would hurt medical innovation while cementing Big Tech monopolies. Despite what the bill sponsors have said, this policy would be a step backward for biopharmaceutical innovation in the United States. It would make the legal landscape for patent holders more complex and create more uncertainty.

“Big Tech companies have figured out how to use the patent system to draw out litigation against smaller competitors, essentially forcing them to settle or get acquired. Well over half of at least one tech company’s claims were duplicate efforts. And the majority of the top ten petitioners in 2022 have been Big Tech companies. PTAB took steps to balance the system in 2020. Moving forward with the proposed legislative changes to PTAB all but ensures more granted requests to institute administrative patent trials – even if it’s duplicative.

“Congress should reject this attempt to make big tech bigger and focus its attention on policies that strengthen the U.S. patent system and encourage medical advances that benefit patients, including the STRONGER Patents Act.”