E-DRUG: New article on patents on drug-device combination products eg EpiPen
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Dear e-drug listserv members,
Please take a look at our new article about how drug-device combination
products are becoming increasingly prevalent, with many lasting beyond the
expiration date of the primary and secondary patents. The article is called
"Tertiary Patenting on Drug-Device Combination Products in the United
States" and can be accessed for free at the following link:
Introduction
The epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen) treatment for anaphylaxis has been making headlines since 2016 for price increases of over 400%, even though epinephrine was iso-lated over 100 years ago1�4. Investigations by the United States Congress have revealed the primary reason for such price increases: there are four patents on epinephrine�s special delivery device that do not expire until 2024 (ref. 5). These patents have made it impossible for other manufacturers to copy the EpiPen delivery system, preventing low-cost generic competition. Patents only last 20 years, but 2024 would mark 37 years since the EpiPen was approved for marketing in the United States in 1987.
Kind regards,
Reed
Reed F Beall, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and the Law
Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics
Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School USA
"Reed Beall" <reedbeall@gmail.com>