{
  "id": 10525545,
  "title": "To keep drug prices high, pharma has been piling up the patents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/to-keep-drug-prices-high-pharma-has-been-piling-up-the-patents-10525545",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-28T19:53:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica",
    "slug": "ars-technica",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/to-keep-drug-prices-high-pharma-has-been-piling-up-the-patents/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The skyrocketing expense of healthcare in the United States has become a significant burden for Americans. Among these concerns, the exorbitant prices of prescription drugs often emerge as a prominent pain point. Although numerous underlying factors contribute to the higher costs, the exploitation of the US patent system is a clear example. A recent study published in JAMA reveals the substantial surge in patent exploitation since 1990. During this period, the number of patents on small-molecule drugs has more than tripled, from an average of 2.1 patents per approved drug in 1990 to 6.9 for those approved in 2019. The majority of this growth can be attributed to nonprimary patents, which typically involve minor modifications to a drug's non-active ingredients, alterations in the drug's usage, or the design of specialized delivery devices such as auto-injectors. These additional patents on a single drug can result in a patent thicket, a complex web of patents that hinders the timely introduction of affordable generic alternatives to the market. This prolonged lack of competition keeps drug prices elevated for extended periods, without necessitating any genuine clinical improvements.",
  "summary": "Add-on patents have increased drug patent periods from two years to over six.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ars Technica Health",
        "title": "To keep drug prices high, pharma has been piling up the patents",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/to-keep-drug-prices-high-pharma-has-been-piling-up-the-patents",
        "published": "2026-09-28T19:53:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}