Makers of copycat drugs will face pressure to bring down prices even more quickly as the U.S.Food and Drug Administration pushes to get more low-costcompetition to market.

The FDA wants to prioritize certain generic-drug applications inan effort to drive down prices, which have drawn increasingscrutiny from lawmakers and the ire of President Donald Trump. The agency hasits sights set on an incentive granted to drugmakers that are first to seek approval fora copy of a brand-name drug, according to a policy documentreleased Thursday.

Generic-drug makers must submit their medicines to the FDA forapproval. So-called first filers are typically able to sell theirversion of a brand-name drug free from competition from othergenerics for 180 days. When that period is up, the floodgates open-- though a backlog of applications awaiting FDA clearance hasmeant some first filers have had the market to themselves for farlonger.

The new FDA initiative is meant to clear that backlog, speedingcompetition and the subsequent price drops, said FDA CommissionerScott Gottlieb.

“Soon after the 180-day exclusivity period lapses, consumers canhave the benefit of brisk competition from multiple other genericentrants. This can improve affordability and access to importantdrugs,” Gottlieb said in a statement.

Gottlieb pledged in June to clear the logjam in a year. The FDAalso now plans to move some applications to the front of the lineto ensure approvals can be granted as soon as a first filer’swindow closes, according to the policy document.

The generic drug industry has gone through a period of turbulence. Majormanufacturers such as Mylan NV and Teva Pharmaceutical IndustriesLtd. have blamed falling prices for hits to their revenue. Almost20 companies are also the target of civil probe by U.S. states, andhave been accused of fixing prices and improperly carving upmarkets.

The price of a medication tends to drop with eachcopy that comes to market. While prices don’t decline much after abranded drug gets a single generic competitor, the arrival of asecond knocks the price down 52 percent, on average, according tothe FDA. Prices fall to 20 percent of the original price once ninegenerics are on the market, according to the agency.

Gottlieb has said the FDA will prioritize clearing new versionsof drugs with fewer than three generic options. The agency has alsoposted a list of brand-namedrugs that no longer are protected from competition but haven’tseen a generic enter the market.

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