By Samuel Howard

Law360, New York (May 15, 2008, 12:00 AM ET) -- European antitrust investigators have reportedly intensified their probe of Europe's pharmaceutical companies to determine whether makers of brand-name drugs are preventing cheaper generic products from entering the market.

European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes is investigating whether drug companies are spending too much time and resources trying to block competitors from the market by extending drug patents and pursuing baseless litigation, rather than trying to develop new drugs, The New York Times reported.

The European Commission launched the inquiry on Jan. 15 with unannounced dawn raids on...