Episode Details

For decades, drugmakers have argued that patents are critical to bringing new drugs to the market. But in 2004, when a promising H.I.V. treatment emerged, Gilead Sciences decided to slow-walk its release to maximize profit on the company’s existing patents.Rebecca Robbins, who covers the pharmaceutical industry for The Times, discusses one man’s case and how patents can create perverse incentives to delay new and better drugs.Guest: Rebecca Robbins, a business reporter covering the pharmaceutical industry for The New York Times.Background reading: 

• Gilead delayed a new version of a drug, allowing it to extend the patent life of a blockbuster line of medications, internal documents showed.
• In August, an expert panel recommended the new daily pill Descovy for H.I.V. prevention.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🌎 THE STORIES THAT MATTER. EVERY SINGLE MORNING.
Join 5M+ daily listeners staying ahead of the headlines. 📈
🎧 DON'T BE THE LAST TO KNOW
Catch today's deep dive: ▶️ LISTEN NOW
Never miss a beat: 🔔 SUBSCRIBE FREE