The influence of market exclusivity on drug availability and medical innovations.

The interpretation and application of intellectual property laws is enormously complex in the pharmaceutical industry, with companies needing to obtain multiple patents to fully protect their innovations. While patents provide important incentives for biomedical innovation and economic growth, concern has been expressed over the growing number of patents, the granting of patents on basic research tools (eg, genetically engineered animals), and the possibility that these legal protections may ultimately inhibit scientific advancement.