# To Keep Drug Prices High, Pharma Has Been Piling Up the Patents

https://mins.news/en/item/77633

- Ars Technica, 2026-09-28 19:53 UTC
- Health
- Original: https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/09/to-keep-drug-prices-high-pharma-has-been-piling-up-the-patents/

> A JAMA study found that the average number of patents on approved small-molecule drugs rose from 2.1 in 1990 to 6.9 in 2019. Growth was driven largely by “nonprimary” patents covering minor formulation, usage, or delivery-device changes. Together, they can form patent thickets that delay cheaper generics without meaningful clinical advances.