- Science
- Clinical Trials
- Guide to Clinical Trials Your participation makes a difference
- Clinical Trials in Children Designed to improve kids' health
- Data and Results Sharing our Results
- Integrity and Transparency Building Trust
- Diversity Equity and Representation
- Plain Language Study Results Trial Result Summaries
- Expanded Access & Compassionate Use Possible Treatment Options
- Find a Trial
- Areas of Focus
- Rare Disease Smaller populations but big impact
- Internal Medicine Extending lifespans worldwide
- Inflammation & Immunology Treatment at the molecular level
- Vaccines Preventing the spread of infections
- Oncology The science of optimism
- Anti Infectives Combatting an evolving risk
- Areas of Innovation
- Gene Therapy Breakthroughs become treatments
- Medicinal Sciences The next generation of science
- Precision Medicine Developing tailored medicines
- Maternal Immunization Protecting newborns at the start
- mRNA Technology Unleashing the next wave of scientific innovations
- Diseases & Conditions
- Coronavirus Resources
- Product Pipeline
- Research Sites
- Clinical Trials
- Products
- How Drugs are Made
- Branded vs. Generic Learn the difference
- Biologics & Biosimilars Cures found in nature
- Commitment to Quality Maintaining the highest standards
- Global Supply Strategic manufacturing locations
- Manufacturing Sites Where medicine is made in the U.S.
- Medicine Safety
- Health Literacy Learning to be well
- Treatment Choices Learning about treatment decisions
- Partnering With Patients Helping others by reporting side effects
- Tips for Patients Preventing medication errors
- Reporting Adverse Events
- Counterfeiting Preventing medication errors
- Product Safety
- Product List
- Product Contacts
- PfizerPro for Professionals
- Patient Assistance Programs
- Distributors
- How Drugs are Made
- Stories
- Newsroom
- About
- People
- Executives Our senior-most leadership
- Board Members The people steering our company
- Scientists Our experts making discoveries
- Patient Stories Our patients
- Colleague Stories Our colleagues
- Responsibility
- Ethics & Compliance Each of us is responsible
- Responsible Business Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives
- Patient Advocacy & Engagement Putting Patients First
- Global Impact Meeting urgent needs worldwide
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Everyone has something to offer
- Environmental Sustainability Our responsiblity to the environment
- Human Rights Furthering dignity and worth
- Health & Safety
- Intellectual Property The benefits of fair competition
- EHS Governance
- Misinformation
- Programs & Policies
- Grants Support for independent research
- Political Partnership Supporting like-minded organizations
- Working with Healthcare Professionals Collaboration to improve lives
- Prescription Value & Pricing How to lower patient costs
- Privacy Principles Commitment to personal data privacy
- Ready for Cures Improving Access to Medicines
- Transparency in Grants Committed to Disclosure
- Policy Positions
- Investors
- Investors Overview Information for stockholders
- Why Invest Why to join us in our mission
- Events & Presentations Calendar of upcoming events
- Financial Reports Quarterly reports and more
- Investor News Announcements about our performance
- Stock Information Charts and data
- Shareholder Services Information on stock transactions
- Corporate Governance
- Corporate Governance Overview Gaining insight into our performance
- Board Committees & Charters Defining the corporate structure
- The Pfizer Board Policies Ensuring ethical leadership
- Corporate Governance FAQs Learn more about our approach
- Contact Our Directors Email any of our Directors
- Purpose
- History
- Careers
- Partners
- People
Patents: Let’s Protect What’s Next
The U.S. patent system provides a critical incentive for innovation and helps to advance the development of new medicines. Yet many people may not realize the significant role that patents play in bringing new treatments to patients. Find out why patents are so important to U.S. healthcare and the economy.
What are patents?
Patents are a form of intellectual property (IP) protection. They grant inventors the exclusive right to make, use, or sell their inventions for a set period of time.1
Why do patents matter?
In the pharmaceutical industry, the patent system works to encourage innovation and helps ensure affordability and access for patients who rely on new treatments and cures. Its benefits include:
Economic growth. The United States economy was built on the idea that innovation is critical to our prosperity. Thanks to a strong U.S. patent system, IP-intensive manufacturing industries drive economic progress and collectively support 57.9 million American jobs. The biopharmaceutical industry is a leader among these industries, contributing substantially to national, state, and local economies by directly employing 800,000 Americans and supporting an additional 4.7 million jobs nationwide.
Continuous improvement. Patents are the foundation of biopharmaceutical innovation and the development of new treatments, cures, and vaccines. Patent protections incentivize manufacturers to continue working to improve their medicines and make them more effective for patients, such as by reducing the side effects of drugs or finding new diseases that a medicine can treat.1
Information-sharing. While patents grant innovators exclusive rights to their inventions for a set period of time, they also require patent-holders to publicly share information about their inventions. That transparency enables other companies to develop often lower cost generic versions of the drugs, which may enter the market after the patent protections expires.2
How does the patent process work?
Graphic source: https://www.phrma.org/-/media/Project/PhRMA/PhRMA-Org/PhRMA-Org/PDF/P-R/Patent-Process-and-Legal-Challenges-Infographics.pdf
Could changes in IP protection threaten the development of innovative treatments?
Yes. Government policies that remove an invention’s patent protection — allowing competitors to use it before the patent’s expiration — could threaten essential incentives for developing new treatments and cures.2 Without reliable IP protections, innovators — including individuals, private companies, and academic institutions — face a risk that at any point, others could unfairly profit from their inventions. Across many sectors, that risk would discourage innovators from investing the time, resources, and potentially billions of dollars devoted to inventing new technologies every year.
Sources:
1https://www.phrma.org/-/media/Project/PhRMA/PhRMA-Org/PhRMA-Org/PDF/P-R/Patent-Process-and-Legal-Challenges-Infographics.pdf
2https://www.phrma.org/policy-issues/Intellectual-Property