A group of lawmakers is urging the Biden administration to scrutinize any effort by Merck to win added patent protection for its blockbuster Keytruda cancer treatment over concerns the company may abuse the U.S. patent system.
In a letter to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the lawmakers noted that Merck plans to seek new patents for a subcutaneous – or under-the-skin – injectable version of its medicine. Such a move could further extend its monopoly on Keytruda and forestall competition from less expensive, biosimilar versions, costing consumers and taxpayers billions of dollars in added medical expenses.
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