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As pharmaceutical companies seek patent protection for combinations of cancer therapeutics, it is worthwhile to assess what constitutes an ‘unexpected result’ for the purpose of an appropriate patent and whether randomized, controlled trials of drug combinations have the ability to generate them.
A study of the brain–machine interface patent landscape suggests that the technology is in its early stages of development, but patent applications have been increasing exponentially in recent years.
A study of the seasonality and overall quantity and quality of Chinese patenting, including international comparisons, suggests that government planning and annual targets encouraged gaming of the system, which increased patent counts but negatively affected patent quality.
Incentives in patent law have driven innovation into spaces that are affirmatively harmful to patients, and patentees are discouraged from taking steps to improve the product so as to prevent adverse health outcomes.
A citation map connecting patents to biomedical publications provides insights that can be used to better evaluate productivity, diversity and translational impact.
Modified versions of existing drugs can substantially increase costs for patients and the health care system if the new version does not offer meaningful clinical improvement.
