On July 15, 2025, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D‑VT), Josh Hawley (R‑MO), and Amy Klobuchar (D‑MN) introduced the ETHIC Act—the Eliminating Thickets to Increase Competition Act (S. 2276)—in the U.S. Senate.[1] The bill is designed to limit the number of drug patents that may be asserted by patent holders (often branded drug companies)
Patent thickets, particularly those involving pharmaceutical patents, appear to have caught the ire of many U.S. senators. Within the past few weeks, two separate letters have urged action to find ways to prevent issuance of overlapping patents covering a single pharmaceutical product. The letters provide insights into the tools they believe are available to address