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Ask HN: What would you think of no-IP pharma?
2 points by dnautics on Dec 23, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments
What would you guys think about a potential pharmaceutical agent released with explicit anti-IP protections? I.E. that no pharma company would be able to exercise patenting rights on its use. I'm in a position to influence this to happen, obviously I think this is a good idea. Pros? Cons? Do any copyleft/no-ip folks know if this has been tried before? A cursory search says no, which doesn't suprise me considering how enthralled to the system many of my colleagues are.


It costs $1M+ for a basic obviously-no-safety-risks safety approval. A large market blockbuster drug can easily cost $100M to approve.

So no IP = drug vanishes without a trace. Unless you can get charitable funding for approval, like the Gates Foundation is doing for things like malaria.


it's cheaper for anti-cancer drugs. Generic drug companies make way more than $100M in profits.




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