- Nonprofit Generic Drug Venture Could Include Third of Hospital Market Politico by Sarah Karlin-Smith — A nonprofit generic drug company led by some well-known U.S. hospital systems and the Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to expand the market for inexpensive medicines — fast. The nonprofit aims to fulfill two needs. It wants to produce generic drugs that are in short supply. And it's trying to create more competition for pricey, older off-patent drugs so that they become more affordable. The fast-rising company could soon count one-third of all U.S. hospital operators as its members. Seventy hospital systems have expressed interest in joining the venture since its launch about six weeks ago, said Dan Liljenquist, vice president at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, one of the lead institutions behind the project, on Monday. The nonprofit — led by Intermountain with Ascension, SSM Health, Trinity Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs — plans to directly ship to hospitals, bypassing wholesalers and other middlemen to keep costs down. It will also publish product prices.