Cancer Patients Save Money on Medication Due to ‘Skinny Labeling’

A new study finds that applying a ‘skinny label’ to the generic cancer drug Gleevec made the medicine available for more patients at a cheaper cost. Skinny labeling is the practice of getting approval for a generic for a specific purpose instead of the range of uses it is patented for. This allows generic manufacturers to avoid lawsuits from the name brand manufacturer.

According to Ed Silverman of Stat News, “The tactic originated with the Hatch-Waxman Act, a decades-old law designed to supply Americans with cheaper generic alternatives to pricey brand-name drugs. The maneuver has been a mainstay among generic companies and one way Congress attempted to foster competition. And the latest study, which examined health claims for 2,000 patients between 2016 and 2020, indicates it had the desired effect.”

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(Source: Stat News, January 11^th, 2021)