The Value of Patent Expiration

Q3 Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Forum for Health Economics and Policy Pub Date : 2012-11-19 DOI:10.1515/1558-9544.1311

M. R. McKellar, Matthew B. Frank, H. Huskamp, M. Chernew

引用次数: 2

Abstract

Abstract Despite bringing breakthrough medications to market, pharmaceutical companies incurred criticism during the 1990s and early 2000s because of high prices of many drugs. We argue that the benefits of pharmaceuticals should be evaluated in a dynamic context that extends beyond the patent expiration date. Now that numerous patents have expired, generic medications exist in many important drug classes. Thus, consumers reap the benefits of past innovation for years to come. We estimate that across 19 molecules whose patents expired from 2005-2009, $193-436 billion will transfer to consumers over 10 to 20 years due to patent expiration. This suggests that, while prices were high during the patent period, creating an incentive for innovation, the transfers to consumers after patent expiration are significant, which is how the patent system is designed to function.

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专利到期的价值

尽管制药公司将突破性药物推向市场，但在20世纪90年代和21世纪初，由于许多药物的高价格，制药公司受到了批评。我们认为，药物的好处应该在一个动态的背景下进行评估，超越专利到期日。现在许多专利已经过期，在许多重要的药物类别中存在仿制药。因此，消费者将在未来几年从过去的创新中获益。我们估计，在2005年至2009年期间专利到期的19种分子中，由于专利到期，在10到20年内，消费者将获得1,930 - 4,360亿美元的转移。这表明，虽然专利期间价格较高，为创新创造了激励，但专利到期后向消费者的转移是显著的，这就是专利制度设计的运作方式。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Forum for Health Economics and Policy Economics, Econometrics and Finance-Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)

CiteScore

1.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Forum for Health Economics & Policy (FHEP) showcases articles in key substantive areas that lie at the intersection of health economics and health policy. The journal uses an innovative structure of forums to promote discourse on the most pressing and timely subjects in health economics and health policy, such as biomedical research and the economy, and aging and medical care costs. Forums are chosen by the Editorial Board to reflect topics where additional research is needed by economists and where the field is advancing rapidly. The journal is edited by Katherine Baicker, David Cutler and Alan Garber of Harvard University, Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University, Dana Goldman of the University of Southern California and RAND Corporation, Neeraj Sood of the University of Southern California, Anup Malani and Tomas Philipson of University of Chicago, Pinar Karaca Mandic of the　University of Minnesota, and John Romley of the University of Southern California. FHEP is sponsored by the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California. A subscription to the journal also includes the proceedings from the National Bureau of Economic Research''s annual Frontiers in Health Policy Research Conference. Topics: Economics, Political economics, Biomedical research and the economy, Aging and medical care costs, Nursing, Cancer studies, Medical treatment, Others related.