February 6, 2026
TOPLINE
On Tuesday, Congress passed bipartisan reforms to Q1/Q2 sameness requirements as part of a broader government funding package. These solutions will bring greater transparency to the generic drug approval process and promote stronger competition from more affordable alternatives to high-priced brand-name medications. The legislation was signed into law by the president on Wednesday. Read more HERE.
Also, last week, brand name manufacturer Sanofi reported fourth quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street analysts’ expectations, increasing their guidance for 2026. The Big Pharma company reported the blockbuster earnings after hiking drug prices for American patients throughout 2025 – and to start the year.
During Sanofi’s fourth quarter earnings call, Houman Ashrafian, Head of Research and Development at Sanofi touted the company’s extensive patent strategy around blockbuster eczema and asthma treatment Dupixent, “We do expect Dupixent to be protected by its patents beyond March 2031 in the U.S…We believe we have a very strong patent portfolio, which we intend to vigorously defend.”
Sanofi’s eagerness to game the patent system to block and delay competition to Dupixent will be costly for American patients and taxpayers. For example, Medicare Part D spending on specialty brand name drugs like Dupixent has dramatically increased, while manufacturers have continued hiking prices.
According to a 2025 study published in JAMA Dermatology, conducted by researchers affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, “inflation-adjusted Medicare Part D spending increased… from $768 million in 2013 to $2.95 billion in 2022,” with specialty prescription drugs, like Dupixent, driving “98.4% of this growth, increasing from 30.8% of all dermatology drug spending in 2013 to 80.9% in 2022, despite being only 2.9% of prescriptions.”
Read more on the fourth quarter earnings from Sanofi HERE.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“CSRxP applauds Congress for advancing bipartisan reforms to prevent Big Pharma from gaming Q1/Q2 requirements to delay competition and keep prescription drug prices high. CSRxP has been a longstanding supporter of this market-based solution that will bring greater transparency to the generic drug approval process and promote stronger competition from more affordable alternatives to high-priced brand-name medications. We look forward to it being signed into law by the president.”
Lauren Aronson, executive director, CSRxP
DATA POINTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
122 Percent
The increase in revenue Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s blockbuster GLP-1 drug, brought in for the Big Pharma giant in Q4 of 2025
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
@P4ADNOW: “By abusing the patent system, big drug companies keep generic and biosimilar competition off the market, increasing their own profits, and keep prices high for patients. Learn how patients are fighting back at http://PatientsPushForCompetition.org”
@CAPPA_Rx: “For Big Pharma, one lawsuit isn’t enough. When a generic manufacturer tries to enter the market, brand-name drug companies often file multiple patent lawsuits over the same drug — one after another.”
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Bloomberg Government: PhRMA, PCMA Asked to Testify Before Health Panel
CEOs and leaders of top drug supply chain organizations—including PhRMA—are being asked to testify before the House Energy and Commerce panel on Feb. 11. PhRMA Chief Operating Officer, Lori Reilly, is being asked to testify before the committee, according to a person familiar with the committee’s request… One group noted that PhRMA is not sending its CEO to the hearing. “It is remarkably telling that CEOs from every other sector of the prescription drug supply chain are confident appearing and answering questions on affordability from lawmakers, except for PhRMA,” said Jon Conradi, spokesman for the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing.
The Washington Post: Next Up for Congress: Pharma Execs
The House is turning its attention to the pharmaceutical industry as it tackles the issue of health care affordability in an election year — calling executives to testify about the “root” causes of drug prices next Wednesday.
PHARMA’S POOR PROGNOSIS
Fierce Pharma: Sanofi Sanctioned By PMCPA Over CEO's 'Bold Claims' About Pfizer RSV Vaccine
A U.K. marketing watchdog has sanctioned Sanofi after ruling its CEO Paul Hudson may have undermined the U.K. government’s vaccine program by making “bold claims” about a procurement choice. Pfizer triggered the investigation by contacting the PMCPA about an article the Observer newspaper ran in 2024. In it, Hudson was quoted as saying Beyfortus, Sanofi’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) product, should be considered instead of Pfizer’s vaccine Abrysvo.
###
