Journal of the American Medical Association | March 27, 2023
Read the PublicationAntibody-based therapeutics such as adalimumab (Humira) and bevacizumab (Avastin) have made major advances in treating many diseases, with this class of drugs (biologics) making up nearly 30% of all US Food and Drug Administration approvals in 2022.1 As with all other drugs, antibodies are routinely protected by numerous patents at the time of regulatory approval. The market exclusivity provided by these patents protects the drugs from competition, allowing manufacturers to charge high prices during the life of the patents.