#bigpharma

FTC Warns Pharma of Patent Manipulation; AbbVie’s Humira Patent Expires

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Last week the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning to pharmaceutical companies about exploiting loopholes in the patent process. In particular, patents on inhalers are suspected to be violating federal law. The pharmaceutical companies, which were not named, bar competitors from the drug market by filing patent applications on various aspects of their products. Then …

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Waxing Lyrica: Big Pharma Subverts the Patent Process

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This December, the patent for Pfizer’s goldmine drug Lyrica will expire. Lyrica is prescribed for neuropathic illnesses such as epilepsy and fibromyalgia. Since its approval in 2004, Lyrica has made billions for Pfizer: in only three of its 14 years of sales, Lyrica sold over $10 billion worth of this drug. (Pfizer’s total revenue for …

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