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Insulin "Evergreening" Patent Monopoly.

Diagnoses the pharmaceutical cartel's tactic of "Evergreening": making microscopic, useless tweaks to a 100-year-old unpatented insulin formula to refresh the patent clock, enabling a 4,000% markup on a liquid required for human survival.

## The Weaponization of Biology

Frederick Banting discovered insulin in 1921. He sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1.00 because he believed a life-saving medicine belonged to humanity. Today, three pharmaceutical companies control 90% of the global insulin market, charging $275 for a vial that costs $3.50 to manufacture.

### FAQ

**Q: How is it legal to patent a 100-year-old medicine and raise the price by 4,000%?**
A: Patent "Evergreening." As the original 20-year patent on insulin was about to expire, the pharmaceutical cartel realized that generic competitors would enter the market and drop the price to $5. To prevent this, they made mathematically useless changes to the formula—perhaps changing one amino acid or adding a slightly different coating to the application pen. They then applied for a *brand new* 20-year patent on this "innovative new biologic delivery system." They simultaneously stopped selling the old, unpatented version. Because insulin is required for survival, patients are forced to buy the newly patented "Evergreened" version for $275. Furthermore, to ensure insurance covers it, they must pay a massive 45% secret kickback (Rebate) to "Pharmacy Benefit Managers" (PBMs). The entire system is a legally sanctioned cartel designed to extract billions from vulnerable diabetics.