Pharma's 'Patent Stacking' Keeps Drug Prices High
In one line: Drugmakers appear to have stretched their exclusivity on individual drugs by layering on secondary patents.
Key points
- Stacking add-on patents reportedly extended drug monopoly periods from roughly two years to more than six.
- The "patent thicket" strategy adds surrounding patents — on formulation, dosing, and the like — after the original patent expires, delaying competitors.
- Longer exclusivity pushes back generic entry, keeping prices elevated.
Why it matters
Critics argue patent stacking rewards monopoly defense rather than genuine innovation. The longer exclusivity runs, the longer consumers and insurers shoulder higher prices — keeping this at the center of patent-reform debates.