HR-4570 — Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025

YourVoice.Now Summary

Corporate BenefitsTransparency & Accountability

Drug makers' private FDA files could go to patent examiners — with 30 days' notice first.

Corporate Benefits

Drug makers' advance notice before their files are shared — 30 days

A drug company would be told before either agency shares its private records. It would then have 30 days to talk with that agency first.

Privacy of drug makers' FDA files — patent examiners could see them

The FDA could hand patent examiners records that are not public today. That includes its private letters with a drug company. Sharing is limited to what examiners need for their work.

Transparency & Accountability

Cross-checks on what drug makers tell two agencies

The Patent Office would have to check with the FDA before it rules on drug patents. Examiners could compare a company's patent claims with what it told the FDA.

Report to Congress on the two agencies' data sharing within four years

The report would go to the House and Senate committees that handle patent law. It would say how often FDA facts reached examiners, and which ones helped.

More about this bill

Most people would notice no change in daily life. The change sits inside two federal agencies. The Patent and Trademark Office would have to check with the Food and Drug Administration before deciding patents on medicines. A new joint task force would run that back-and-forth. Drug companies would feel it first. Records they gave the FDA in confidence could go to patent examiners. That includes private letters between a company and the agency. Examiners could check whether a medicine was on sale before the patent was filed. Companies would get notice first, plus 30 days to raise concerns. Within four years, the Patent Office would report to Congress on how often FDA information reached examiners.

Congressional Summary

Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025 This bill establishes the Interagency Task Force on Patents to support coordination and communication between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on activities relating to patents for human drugs and biological products. The task force's duties shall include sharing information about (1) the processes of each agency, including how each agency evaluates applications (e.g., patent applications at the USPTO and new drug applications at the FDA); and (2) new approvals of patents, human drugs, biological products, and new technologies. The task force must also establish a process that requires (1) the USPTO to request from the FDA information relating to certain patent applications to help patent examiners carry out their duties, (2) the FDA to provide such information to the USPTO, and (3) the USPTO to assist the FDA in its ministerial role of listing patents.

Legislative Subjects

Pharmaceutical drugsPatentsFDAUSPTOGeneric drugsDrug prices

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber
Status: summarized
Action: Introduced in House
Action Date: 2025-07-21
Date Added: 2026-03-31
Source: Congress.gov →

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