The Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) is grateful for the opportunity to respond to the request for comments by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with respect to the role of intellectual property and competition policy in promoting innovation. I-MAK was established in 2006 with the mission to increase global access to affordable, lifesaving medicines. I-MAK is a team of lawyers, pharmaceutical scientists and health experts who are working to ensure people get the lifesaving medicine they need to survive and lead healthy lives. People worldwide – including in the United States – are not receiving the lifesaving treatment they need due to skyrocketing prices based on the abuse of the patent system.
Our submission responds to Topic 8 of the FTC enquiry, namely the role of intellectual property and competition policy in promoting innovation. In particular, we are focused on the on-going abuse of the patent system, or over-patenting, within the pharmaceutical sector, and the impact this legal and business strategy has upon consumer welfare in the United States.