OCASIO-CORTEZ SLAMS BIG PHARMA FOR GAMING U.S. PATENT SYSTEM

Washington, July 15 -- Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued the following press release:

WATCH HERE WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) highlighted the need to develop more stringent standards in the U.S. pharmaceutical patent system to avoid the over-patenting of brand-name drugs during a hearing in the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Although the pharmaceutical patent system is intended to reward innovation, Big Pharma games the system to increase their profits at patients' expense. By making minor changes to products, pharmaceutical companies, like AbbVie and AstraZeneca, monopolize the drug market - preventing cheaper drugs from becoming available and plunging...