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18/04/2026 12:27 pm
I see China has 60 weight loss drugs being developed plus generic wegovy when the Nov patents end.
It seems like the prices are going to collapse. Hopefully the same will happen with MJ. Anyone know when that patent runs out?
19/04/2026 6:07 pm
It will still be as illegal and black market and risky in the UK as getting supposed knock offs made overseas currently is - without a regulated supply chain, you have NO idea what's really in the syringe, like any other illegal drugs. Rund sout in Canada too so people in the US will feasibly be able to cross the border to Canada and get legit generics (as they currently already do for other medication), but that's not going to be practical here.
19/04/2026 6:11 pm
My understanding is that it's not just the *drug* that Eli Lily has patented but the dosage schedule and the delivery system too. They take the raw tirzepatide peptide - which is patented until 2036 - and they compound it with a liquid (Bacteriostatic Water and whatever preservatives) for stability, which is also patented until 2036. Then they sell it to us in a pen which they have patented, and to be taken in a dose and on a schedule which they have also patented - these patents run out in the UK in 2039. They were allowed to patent those and charge whatever prices because they have done many years of research into getting the application, the dosage, and the stability to the optimum level for us, and also because they have shareholders to pay.