The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is intensifying its efforts to challenge numerous pharmaceutical patent listings, aiming to facilitate the availability of more affordable alternatives to brand-name drugs, including blockbusters like Novo Nordisk A/S’s (NYSE:NVO) Ozempic and Victoza.  What Happened: The FTC is disputing “junk patent listings” for diabetes, weight loss, asthma and COPD drugs. This initiative represents the latest endeavor against what the agency perceives as patent tactics drugmakers employ to hinder generic competition. At the center of the issue is the Orange Book, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publication containing patents relevant to brand-name pharmaceuticals.  According to a law designed to promote generics, successfully challenging listed patents can grant a period of exclusivity to generics makers before other generics are approved.  However, if a brand-name manufacturer decides to contest a challenge to an Orange Book ...