Text 1: Economist Park argues that strong patent protections drive pharmaceutical innovation. Without the prospect of monopoly profits during the patent term, she contends, drug companies would not invest the billions of dollars required to develop new medicines. Patent terms shorter than the current standard would slow medical progress.
Text 2: Economist Singh accepts that patents incentivize R&D but argues that the current system is poorly designed. Many pharmaceutical patents protect minor modifications of existing drugs ("evergreening") rather than genuine innovation; high prices during the patent term place essential medicines out of reach. Reform, Singh contends, is not the abolition of patents but better-targeted ones.
Both authors would most likely agree that
- A
all drugs should be free of patent protection.
- B
the patent system requires no reform.
- Ccheck_circle
patents play a role in pharmaceutical R&D.
- D
drug companies should never receive monopoly profits.
Explanation
Both accept patents' role in R&D; they differ on system design. A is shared. B, C, and D contradict at least one author.