Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act
Latest action · Jul 21, 2026 Held at the desk.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 13, 2025
- Passed SenateJul 21, 2026
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act
This bill limits in certain instances the number of patents that the manufacturer of a biologic drug can assert in a lawsuit against a company seeking to sell a biosimilar version of that drug. (A biologic drug is produced through natural processes or isolated from natural sources. A biosimilar version is substantially similar to the original biologic, which is the reference product, and is often marketed as a less expensive alternative.)
The bill's provisions apply to an existing framework that gives the biosimilar manufacturer an abbreviated path to Food and Drug Administration approval to sell the biosimilar. Specifically, if the biosimilar manufacturer completes certain actions under the framework, such as sharing certain information about its product with the reference product manufacturer, the bill limits the number of certain patents that the reference product manufacturer may assert in a lawsuit, such as patents that were filed more than four years after the reference product received market approval. The limit shall not apply to patents claiming certain methods for using the biologic drug.
The court in which the infringement lawsuit is filed may increase the limit if justice so requires or if there is good cause for the increase.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Mar 13, 2025.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-IA | Chuck Grassley | Original | Mar 13, 2025 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Mar 13, 2025 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Mar 13, 2025 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Mar 13, 2025Markup Apr 3, 2025Reported Apr 10, 2025 |
Actions 9
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 21, 2026Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4198-4199; text: CR S4199)
- Jul 21, 2026Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 21, 2026Received in the House.
- Jul 21, 2026Held at the desk.
- Apr 10, 2025Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with amendments. Without written report.
- Apr 10, 2025Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 44.
- Apr 3, 2025Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- Mar 13, 2025Introduced in Senate
- Mar 13, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4198, S4199Text printed S4199Amendments S4198 | Bill Cassidy R-LA | Jul 21, 2026 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 891 | Bipartisan Health Care Act | Related bill | Mar 6, 2025 |
| HR 1768 | Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act | Related bill | Mar 3, 2025 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to address the infringement of patents that claim biological products, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
- Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Commerce.
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 21, 2026Engrossed in Senate
- Apr 10, 2025Reported to Senate
- Mar 13, 2025Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
