Orphan drug research and innovation from an intellectual property perspective
YUAN Jing
Abstract：The research and development of orphan drugs for rare diseases face a market failure due to the small patient population and high costs,which discourages pharmaceutical investment.While intellectual property rights incentivize the innovation,patent monopolies exacerbate drug accessibility challenges.This paper examines dual role of patent systems in orphan drug research and development,analyzes global practices and proposes policy recommendations for China,including optimizing patent protection,enhancing compulsory licensing mechanisms,and promoting open licensing.The study concludes that balancing innovation incentives and public health requires systemic governance reforms,integrating global lessons with localized strategies.
Keywords：orphan drugsrare diseasesintellectual propertypatent monopolydrugaccessibility
Publication Date：2025-11-15
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-14(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 2247-2252 )