Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 90 / 466

Pharmaceutical patents grant protection to the patentee forth education of the patent term. The patentees enjoy the liberty to determine the prices of medicines, which is time limited to the period of monopoly, but could be unaffordable to the public. Such patent protection offered to the patentees is believed to benefit the public, over 'the longer term through innovations and research and development (R&D), although it comes at a cost, in the nature of higher prices for the patented medicine. The patent regime and price protection - through a legally validated high price for the medicine during the currency of the patent - provide the patentee with a legitimate mechanism to get returns on the costs incurred in innovation and research.
Based on the above passage, the' following assumptions have been made:

  1. Patent protection given to patentees puts a huge burden on public's purchasing power in accessing patented medicines.
  2. Dependence on other countries for pharmaceutical products is a huge burden for developing and poor countries.
  3. Providing medicines to the public at affordable prices is a key goal during the public health policy design in many countries.
  4. Governments need to find an appropriate balance between the rights of patentees and the requirements of the patients.

Which of the above assumptions are valid?