The Hill: Trade deal would limit protections for pharma firms
“Trade officials from 12 countries agreed Monday to shrink the length of time that pharmaceutical companies can receive monopoly rights for certain drugs, a provision that is already threatening to incite a Big Pharma rebellion on Capitol Hill. Brand-name companies would receive up to eight years of monopoly rights for drugs known as biologics — a decrease from the current 12 years provided under U.S. law, according to officials involved. The final language of the deal has not yet been released…” (Ferris, 10/5).

Vox: How the Trans-Pacific Partnership could drive up the cost of medicine worldwide
“…[T]he deal’s most controversial provisions are the ones limiting competition in the pharmaceutical industry. According to Doctors Without Borders, ‘The TPP will still go down in history as the worst trade agreement for access to medicines in developing countries.’ Though the final text of the agreement won’t be available for at least another month, here’s what we know so far…” (Belluz, 10/5).