Patents Choking Off Medical Research

pq writes "The New Republic has an insightful article talking about the "absence of truly innovative drugs in current drug company pipelines. And the explanation for that might well come from the supposed fount of American innovation: our patent system." Apparently they are trapped in a situation where "it's much easier to argue that `patents support innovation' than to try to explain that some patents are good for innovation while others are bad." A long read, but unlike the latest copy-protected mp3 player, this is definitely stuff that matters!"

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PHRMA on Intellectual Property

[TheSync]

(My wife is still alive because of a recent drug discovery, so I suppose that perhaps my view is pro-drug-manufacturer...)

Celbrities, Pharmaceutical Researchers Urge House to Reject Patent Legislation that Would Harm Patients

Tell legislators that changes to patent law would slow development of new drugs
October 01, 2002

Washington, D.C. - A group of celebrities and pharmaceutical researchers, including television talk-show host Montel Williams and actress Kate Jackson, urged the U.S. House of Representatives to reject pending patent legislation that would harm patients by slowing the development of new life-saving, cost-effective medicines.

Along with Williams, who has multiple sclerosis, and Jackson, a breast-cancer survivor, the celebrities included television personality Leeza Gibbons, whose mother suffers from Alzheimer's disease; Peter Samuelson, a movie producer who has diabetes; and Nancy Davis, founder of Race to Erase MS, who also has MS. The group held a press conference on Capitol Hill before visiting Members' offices.