prohibit pharmaceutical companies from extending patent protection beyond the initial term of the original patent date.

Pharmaceutical companies have been able to extend patent protection and profits of their branded products by entering into agreements with generic drug manufacturers to not produce generic versions of branded drugs in return for large payments. This collusion between drug manufacturers is monopolistic and should be illegal since two or more firms are entering into an agreement to set the price of a drug, or maintain the price of a drug by restricting competition. These higher costs impact the American government and insurers and the public and run counter to the goal of a free market, open to competition.