# Skirting patents on pharmaceutical drugs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skirting-patents-on-pharmaceutical-drugs/990776>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 27, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skirting-patents-on-pharmaceutical-drugs/990776 "2023-09-27T13:20:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skirting-patents-on-pharmaceutical-drugs/990776/2 "2023-09-27T14:37:25Z")

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> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> Do drug patents register a chemical? The process for producing that chemical? Something else?

I no longer spend much time thinking about the pharmaceutical industry, but until someone with more current knowledge stops by:

All of the above. A composition of matter protects production and use of a drug; it can also cover a class or an antibody clone. Drug targets are patentable but IIRC there are some limits that I’m not going to be able to clarify for you. Something something about Cox-2 inhibitors.

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