Originally Posted by Thomas Porfert

-Off topic- It's 20 years for a pharmaceutical patent from the date of filing BEFORE clinical trials begin. So after clinical trials, it's effectively about 7-12 years.

-Begin Rant- Using a practice called collusion, pharmaceutical companies will pay generic manufacturers NOT to produce a generic version after the 20 year patent so they can continue to sell it at full price under their brand name. They actually sue them first, and the legal costs are so great, it forces the generic manufacturers to go to the bargaining table where they are then paid to hold off on production. It costs the big pharma companies much less to pay off the other manufacturers to not produce the generic drug and continue to reap the profits from selling the overpriced brand name. There's was supposed to be a bill going through Congress to put a stop to this, but last I heard it was stalled.
-End Rant-

Sorry, not really on topic, but I feel strongly about this subject and most people don't realize what is happening.

Thomas Porfert
Tech Support
Castle Creations