ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom makes a compelling case for the extension of patents on pharmaceuticals today, in a debate on the issue in The Wall Street Journal s Big Issues: Health Care report. The expiration of patents on many of the pharmaceutical industry s most profitable drugs poses an enormous threat to the industry and its efforts to continue to research and develop new drugs. As Dr. Bloom explains:
A well-planned extension of patent protection, especially for innovative drugs, is both reasonable and necessary to keep what is left of the American pharmaceutical industry healthy enough to continue its crucial work. In the absence of a remedial measure like patent-life extension, the industry will continue its decline, resulting in incalculable losses to the U.S. economy and poorer medical care for its citizens. This would be a national disgrace.
Read Dr. Bloom s debate piece in its entirety here.