How do generics and patents work?
Ozempic has been in the news recently along with BBL and other political oddities. Ozempic's owner, Novo Nordik and iDexis, a manufacturer of generic drugs, took each other to court in June for commercial reasons. This begs the question, how do generics and patents really work?
Ozempic is the commercial name for a synthetic glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that mimics a hormone in our bodies' digestive system. The hormone activates the pancreas to release insulin if someone's blood sugar is too low.
The patent's original purpose was to treat patients with type-2 diabetes. The American regulator, the FDA, only approved the drug in 2017, after which commercial use of the drug could begin - therefore 10 years after the patent was originally registered. Meanwhile, the patent expired earlier this year in several countries, which means that generic drugs will soon be on the market. Yes, that GLP-1 that is offered for sale at hair salons and even school
