In a new report, non-profit I-MAK investigates how patent abuses are impacting consumers, calling out the worst offenders and their role in the high-priced drug crisis. The report finds that twelve of the highest-grossing drugs in the U.S. have, on average, applied for 125 patents and increased in price by 68 percent since 2012. I-MAK co-founder Tahir Amin says the following in response: 

"Contrary to what the law intends, drugmakers have transformed the patent system into a defensive business strategy to avoid competition and earn outsized profits. Abuse of the patent system is causing undue economic hardship and keeping lifesaving medicines out of the hands of people who need them."

Key Report Takeaways

The report found that, on average, across the top twelve grossing drugs in America: 

• One third of the drugs had price hikes of more than 100 percent
• There are 38 years of attempted patent protection blocking generic competition sought by drugmakers for each of these top grossing drugs - or nearly double the twenty year monopoly intended under U.S. patent law
• Over half of the top twelve drugs in America have more than 100 attempted patents per drug

Learn more about pharma's patent abuses  here.