To keep drug prices high, pharma has been piling up the patents

The pharmaceutical industry has been exploiting a loophole to extend the lifespan of drug patents, leading to inflated prices for consumers. This is done through the use of add-on patents, which are secondary patents that cover minor improvements or variations of a drug. These add-on patents can increase the patent period of a drug from the standard two years to over six years, allowing pharmaceutical companies to maintain a monopoly on the market and charge higher prices. This practice has been criticized for prioritizing profits over access to affordable healthcare.