FTC challenges 'junk' patents held by 10 drugmakers, incl Novo Nordisk's Ozempic

Good.

They patented inhalers for a second time. It's the exact same drug. The only thing that changed was the propellant. It went from R-12 to R-134a. Everyone who had to switch out R-12 from refrigeration to drug manufacturing switched to R-134a. There was absolutely _nothing_ novel about it.

It was _criminal_ to allow them the second patent for just the propellant change. It took generic $5 inhalers off the market and replaced them with $95 inhalers. It was was one of the most corrupt swindles I've ever personally seen.

> It took generic $5 inhalers off the market and replaced them with $95 inhalers.

OOTL, what is stopping companies from making generics of the older version & patients just not using the new version?

Drug salespeople, doctors, pharmacists, and insurance companies.

If you get a prescription for a ProAir HFA inhaler, which is parented because it uses R134a, even if you did want to do your own research and evaluate whether the generic with the different propellant would work you can't just go buy the generic, you have to do extra work to get a prescription that applies.

Doctors don't write prescriptions for albuterol sulfate, they write ProAir HFA and it's up to the consumer to push back. They don't even advise taking OTC ibuprofen or pseudoephedrine, they say Advil and Sudafed. It's a pet peeve of mine, but it seems I'm the weird one in that respect...

In Canada pharmacists will generally just ignore brand names written by MDs and fill with generics unless there’s a known difference or the patient specifically asks (and is willing to pay more).