Big Pharma's Market Power Stifles Innovation, Legal Ruling Sparks Change
Market power in existing products can affect a firm's incentives to innovate. When firms use "pay-for-delay" agreements to delay competition, they reduce their innovation activities. Legal rulings against these agreements increase innovation by incumbent firms facing competition. However, new entrants decrease innovation in response to heightened competition. Overall, firms have less motivation to innovate when they can maintain their market power through such agreements.