This paper analyses the causal impact of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on pharmaceutical innovation in a panel of 74 countries. The identification strategy exploits the different timing across countries of two sets of IPR reforms. Domestic innovation is measured as citation-weighted...

On innovation grounds, pharmaceutical patents are unnecessary in low income populations, since such markets cannot do much to support global pharmaceutical profits. The public health needs of low income populations require patented drugs to be manufactured at the marginal cost of production,...

Introduction: Faith in Fakes? -- In the beginning, a conflict -- The pharmaceutical globalization -- Selling at all costs -- The regulatory turn to security -- The exercise of pharmaceutical control -- Logistic regimes and the exercise of power -- Diverting flows, contesting power.

While the recent WTO agreement allowing developing countries to import life-saving drugs by bypassing patent laws is beneficial, a majority of the drugs used to combat epidemics are off-patent or not patented in many developing countries. Consequently, the agreement will do very little to assist...