Brand drug companies impeding generic drug company access to product samples: Estimated prevalence and impact on drug costs

Some brand drug companies have stymied attempts by generic drug companies to obtain samples of brand drugs needed to develop and gain regulatory approval for their generic products. This conduct, which has been reported in both the US and Canada, raises drug costs to drug plans and other payors and can lessen competition. The literature to date contains little empirical evidence on the prevalence of this conduct, the attendant effects on …