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US Senators place blame for sky-high drug prices on abuse of the patent system

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sky-high-drug-prices-senators-blame-patent-abuse-rcna153350

Democrats and Republicans accused drug-makers of taking advantage of patents to keep cheaper competition off the market.

#patent #access2meds #healthcare #drugs #uslaw #uspol #evergreening #competition

Sky-high drug prices? Senators blame patent abuse

The drug industry’s top lobbying group faced fierce questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday that explored whether abuse of the patent system is responsible for keeping prescription drug prices sky-high in the United States.

NBC News

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Urzl May 22, 2024

@drrimmer My mom died when the only drug the insurance would pay for didn't work and the one that did work was not only itself patented but also every single step in the production was patented.

Having a license on the drug patent wasn't enough to make a generic since there was no feasible process without licensing dozens more patents.

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Thomas Guyot-Sionnest May 22, 2024

@gooba42 @drrimmer And when there are no more patents, no one bothers making some of them as it doesn't generate enough profits. The cost is no longer related to the research, it's whatever gov't will save in other costs by providing it, nevermind the fact lots of them started off with publicly funded research! So we're literally paying twice! Meanwhile ppl die because century-old drugs are running out. FFS!

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