President Barack Obama

The Obama administration is backing off of drug-price protections in the big Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty now under negotiation, The New York Times reports. But U.S. negotiators are still pressing for more power to get involved in government decisions on reimbursement rates.

Citing newly leaked documents, the newspaper says it's another case of branded drugmakers versus generics makers, activists and public health officials, who maintain that the treaty would push up government drug costs and force consumers to pay more for their meds.

The provisions are part of a "transparency" annex in the proposed trade agreement, which would cover 12 nations, but potentially affect drug costs