Report: FTC probes drug patent listings

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Federal regulators are investigating whether pharmaceutical giants Bristol-Meyers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Biovail Corp. and others using patent listings to cushion competition from generic drugs, USA Today reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said the Federal Trade Commission was looking into whether the firms are claiming that certain patents apply to their drugs -- when they don't -- to keep lower-cost generic drugs off the market.