The bill establishes a new chapter titled "Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs" within Title 23 of the General Laws, aimed at increasing transparency and competition in the pharmaceutical market. It defines key terms such as "ANDA," "patent infringement," and "reference drug holder." The bill requires pharmaceutical manufacturers that produce brand name prescription drugs to notify the attorney general within 30 days of any agreements that delay or prevent the introduction of generic substitutes into the marketplace. The attorney general is then responsible for sharing this information with relevant health programs, Medicaid managed care plans, health carriers, and pharmacy benefit managers.

The bill addresses unlawful agreements related to patent infringement claims, presuming them to have anticompetitive effects if a nonreference drug filer receives anything of value in exchange for agreeing to limit or forego research, development, manufacturing, marketing, or sales of their product. It outlines exceptions for agreements that directly generate procompetitive benefits that outweigh the anticompetitive effects.

Additionally, the bill introduces new legal language regarding the enforcement of actions related to violations, specifying that such actions must be initiated within four years of the cause of action accruing. It includes a severability clause to ensure that if any provision of this chapter is held invalid, the remaining provisions will still be enforceable. Violations of the outlined provisions can lead to significant civil penalties, with enforcement actions being the responsibility of the attorney general. The act is set to take effect upon passage, reinforcing the commitment to preventing practices that restrict access to affordable medications and promoting fair competition in the pharmaceutical industry.