Patents guarantee profits, don’t they?
Absolutely not. Getting a patent is only the start of the process. Firms then have to go on to prove that their patented drug is safe and effective – and nowadays, they have to prove that it is cost effective. And then they have to sell it – and customers may not want it. Big Pharma is one of the most regulated industries on earth: at every stage their products are controlled by governments – and often their prices too.
