Evergreening
What is evergreening?
Evergreening is a practice where brand-name pharmaceutical companies patent “new inventions” that are minor modifications of old drugs. For example, they may include a new dosage, a new release form, or new variations or combinations. These modifications are often cited as being a part of lifecycle management.
Some of the medications that most commonly receive extensions include HIV medications, insulin, drugs treating opioid addiction, and those that treat pain.
How does evergreening impact the pharmaceutical market?
The evergreening practice of gaining multiple patents for a single drug can continually extend its exclusivity period, which is a time when brand-name manufacturers are protected from generic competition.
Evergreening allows biopharma companies to protect their assets, but it can keep generics from entering the market, which may cause prices as a whole to rise. Rising pharmaceutical prices can impact health equity, potentially keeping patients from being able to afford medical treatments.