This Shield of Patents Protects the World's Best-Selling Drug

摘要

Humira, a treatment for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis made by Abb Vie Inc., is the planet's best-selling drug. It's also been around almost 15 years. Those two facts alone would normally have rival drugmakers eagerly circling, ready to roll out generic versions that could win a piece of the aging medicine's $16 billion in annual sales. Yet last year, when the patent on Humira's main ingredient expired, not a single competitor launched a copycat version. Figuring out how to manufacture it wasn't the obstacle. The real challenge was the seemingly impregnable fortress of patents AbbVie has methodically constructed around its prized moneymaker.