Bill · H.R. 7693· House(119-HR-7693)
Leo’s Law
- Introduced
- 2/25/2026
- Last activity
- 2/25/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- Josh Gottheimer
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as "Leo's Law," aims to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on incentives for developing orphan drugs. It extends several exclusivity periods and patent-related approval-delay periods by 180 days for "covered orphan drugs." To qualify, the drug must have had an application submitted during the COVID-19 emergency period and have no approved indications other than for rare diseases or conditions.
Yes· 3 of 6
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
Specifically benefits pharmaceutical company owners by extending market exclusivity.
Would people with disabilities be better off under this?+5
Many rare disease patients fall into this category and may benefit from increased drug development.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+4
Increases incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop and maintain treatments for rare diseases.
The opposite· 3 of 4
Does this lower the price of prescription medicines?-3
Extended exclusivity periods for orphan drugs prevent generic competition, potentially keeping drug prices higher for longer.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-2
Potential for higher drug costs due to delayed generic entry.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?-2
Extending exclusivity periods may delay access to lower-cost generic alternatives for consumers.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Increased Incentives for Rare Disease Treatments: By extending exclusivity periods by 180 days for covered orphan drugs under Section 2(a) and Section 2(b), the bill provides more time for developers to maintain exclusivity, which encourages the development of drugs for rare diseases.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Delayed Access to Generic Alternatives: Because Section 2(a) and Section 2(b) extend exclusivity periods and patent-related approval-delay periods by 180 days, it may delay the time when other companies can introduce competing or generic versions of these orphan drugs to the market.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Children+2Good For Low Income Households-2Good For Middle Class Households-1
- Education And Technology
- Improves Intellectual Property Fairness+3
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+4Increases Research Funding+2Reduces Prescription Drug Costs-3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection-2
- 2/25/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Don BaconRepublican · Nebraska