The U.S. Senate approved the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (S. 1041) in a unanimous vote July 21, moving the bill to the House after it sat on the Senate floor for more than a year. The measure targets biologics patent “thickets” by limiting the number of patents a sponsor can assert against a biosimilar during the voluntary patent dance under the BPCIA. Sponsors described the cap—no more than 20 patents—as a reasonable constraint. If enacted, the policy could shift biosimilar litigation strategy and timing across high-volume biologics markets.