Several associations have joined a coalition of research and scientific institutions formed to prevent the federal government from ending patent restrictions on certain medicines, which could make cheaper generic alternatives available to the public.

Bayh-Dole 40 is a new coalition with the purpose of protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, a 1980 law that allows universities, small businesses and nonprofits to receive federal grants and retain ownership of any patented inventions created using government funding. (The 40 in the coalition name refers to the 40th anniversary of the law.) However, the law also contains a provision allowing the government to "march in" and end that ownership to address public health concerns, according to Kaiser Health News.

No president has yet invoked the provision but some Democratic presidential candidates—particularly Sen. Elizabeth Warren—have said they would to allow low-cost generics to enter the marketplace. Coalition members argue that such a step would erode confidence in a system that has led to numerous pharmaceutical and technological innovations.

"Bayh-Dole made the United States the engine of global innovation," said Joseph Allen, an intellectual property lobbyist who is serving as executive director of the coalition. "The act reinvigorated research and development in America, spawning breakthrough discoveries ranging from high-yield crops to advanced medicines."

The coalition's founding members include the Association of University Research Parks, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, National Venture Capital Association and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.