[PIRO4D/Pixabay]
Pharmaceutical companies are running into pushback for their “patent thicket” tactics, designed to maintain exclusive rights and delay cheaper generics. The Financial Times reported that an ethical investor coalition is pushing for greater transparency and urging major drug makers to disclose their patent strategies. Unraveling the patent thicket mysteryPatent thickets are a common intellectual property tactic in pharma. Companies file numerous patents beyond the primary one for a specific compound. Critics say this cunning approach stalls the introduction of generics even after the 20-year exclusivity of primary patents expires. Consequently, drug prices remain high, and affordable medications remain out of reach for many.
Drugs like Humira (adalimumab) and Keytruda (pembrolizumab), for example, have experienced extended periods without biosimilar or generic competition, lea…