Big Pharma fights patent disclosure demand from investors
Several of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies are fighting shareholder proposals to force them to disclose information on their use of a controversial patent strategy that can delay rivals from launching cheaper versions of blockbuster drugs.
A coalition of ethical investors have asked Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Gilead, Amgen, Regeneron, Bristol Myers Squibb and AbbVie to publish a report on the process they follow when applying for multiple patents on a single drug.
The reports should provide details on whether their patent strategies are designed to extend the exclusivity of top-selling drugs and what impact this is likely to have on patient access, according to the shareholders, which include Mercy Investment Services and Trinity Health.
“You can’t litigate through 100 patents: its just too expensive and too risky,” said Rachel Goode, head of legal and Intellectual Property at Fresenius Kabi, a healthcare company which makes generic drugs.
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Jamie Smyth
