Pharma pay-to-delay foe Jon Leibowitz leaving FTC

FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, who has been a burr under the saddle of branded drug makers, is stepping down. That won't derail the U.S. Supreme Court from hearing a case next month over one of his favorite subjects, pay-to-delay arrangements. Under those deals, branded drug makers pay their generics-producing competitors a settlement in patent litigation to postpone launching copycats that will cut into profits. Just last month, the FTC put out a report claiming that the practice is costing taxpayers $3.5 billion a year. His fight against pay-to-delay was mentioned by the FTC as one of his biggest accomplishments in his four years as chairman. The lack of love between the FTC and the industry on this issue was evident when Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) CEO Ralph G. Neas responded to the FTC report with this: "The FTC is wrong on the facts, wrong on the public policy and wrong on the law." Release | More