Intellectual Property of Psychedelics for Addiction Treatment: Enabling Access and Protecting Innovation Opportunities Through Preserving the Public Domain.
Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs September 1, 2024 Sisi Li, Taylor Kurtzweil, Shahin Shams et al. 3 citations
Efforts to patent psychedelic compounds for addiction treatment risk privatizing public knowledge and raising costs. The nonprofit Porta Sophia has identified 170 patent documents covering psychedelic addiction therapies, many of which could restrict research and access if granted. Patent examiners must reject false claims, but prior knowledge about psychedelics is often hard to find, leading to overreaching patents. As the FDA approaches key decisions, stakeholders must use available tools to determine prior knowledge and maintain an ethical patent landscape to ensure access to these potential treatments.