Disturbing Patent Rules

Saturday, October 15th 2005
Uncategorized

Here’s an Indian company, anticipating an avian flu pandemic, and thus claiming a right to violate the patent of a Swiss company and their drug.

It is a terrible shame drug patents have a life. It is a shame that some people believe there is a right to cost effective drugs. The definition of when these patents should be able to be violated should be during a true health emergency.

I don’t want to EVER hear anyone complain about how greedy pharmaceutical companies are or how they only develop only drugs targeting high yield conditions. I don’t want to ever hear anyone say that changing the patent laws and enforcing these companies’ rights wouldn’t change these practices. The fact is, if you support undermining the rights of these companies then you don’t complain.

I understand that the financial impact on the drug companies is not as big as you might imagine, at least that is what most studies find (i.e. marketing dollars keep patients demanding name brands even when generic become available). Still, it is a matter of what is right and wrong…