logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
15m 33s

Why are drug prices so high? Investigati...

TED
About this episode

Between 2006 and 2016, the number of drug patents granted in the United States doubled -- but not because there was an explosion in invention or innovation. Drug companies have learned how to game the system, accumulating patents not for new medicines but for small changes to existing ones, which allows them to build monopolies, block competition and drive prices up. Health justice lawyer Priti Krishtel sheds light on how we've lost sight of the patent system's original intent -- and offers five reforms for a redesign that would serve the public and save lives. After the talk, our host Modupe dives into a recent example of how the US is rethinking patents.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jun 1
The surprising origins of Southwest Airlines with Jacob Goldstein
In this special TED Business episode, Modupe is in conversation with Jacob Goldstein, reporter and co-host of the Business History podcast, to dig into the origin story ofSouthwest Airlines. From debunking the airline's founding myth, about a triangular route sketched on a napkin ... Show More
25m 41s
May 25
The secret to making the right career decisions with Patty Stonesifer | from WorkLife with Molly Graham
You might think the biggest, most prestigious job is always the right career move. Patty Stonesifer — founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an early Amazon board member — says that’s exactly the wrong way to decide what to do next. So what should guide your care ... Show More
39m 16s
May 18
3 things I wish I knew when I was broke | Vivian Tu
Finance doesn't have to feel like a foreign language. Wall Street trader-turned-financial educator Vivian Tu helps millions of people make sense of money, breaking down complex concepts into everyday terms you can understand. She shares how she broke free from the stress of livin ... Show More
27m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2020
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
Between 2006 and 2016, the number of drug patents granted in the United States doubled -- but not because there was an explosion in invention or innovation. Drug companies have learned how to game the system, accumulating patents not for new medicines but for small changes to exi ... Show More
12m 36s
Apr 2021
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
Between 2006 and 2016, the number of drug patents granted in the United States doubled -- but not because there was an explosion in invention or innovation. Drug companies have learned how to game the system, accumulating patents not for new medicines but for small changes to exi ... Show More
12m 48s
Sep 2023
Why One Drug Company Held Back a Better Drug
<p>For decades, drugmakers have argued that patents are critical to bringing new drugs to the market. But in 2004, when a promising H.I.V. treatment emerged, Gilead Sciences decided to slow-walk its release to maximize profit on the company’s existing patents.</p><p>Rebecca Robbi ... Show More
35m 38s
Jul 2023
Sawbones: Patents vs. Life-Saving Drugs
<p>John Green recently made a video asking Johnson & Johnson not to extend their patent on a tuberculosis drug, which would keep it exclusive and expensive. Dr. Sydnee and Justin talk about how drug patents work, the recent (good) update about bedaquiline specifically, and the ne ... Show More
38m 46s
Nov 2017
Encore: Counterfeit Drug Industry: The Role of Complex Supply Chains
The buzz: “Although counterfeit drug production was originally concerned with lifestyle medications treating non-life threatening conditions, the industry has expanded to produce nearly every type of medicine” (cnbc.com/id/44759526). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates ... Show More
56m 26s
Sep 2020
What if lifesaving prescriptions were affordable for all? | Kiah Williams
As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers u ... Show More
8m 21s
Jan 2020
The pharmacists fighting high drug prices
If you had a rare disease and the only drug that could help you suddenly shot up in price how would you feel? What if your health service or insurer decided it was too expensive and they wouldn’t fund it any more? This is the problem facing some patients in the Netherlands.In ord ... Show More
23m 40s