Critical Reasoning

The pharmaceutical industry argues that because new drugs will not be developed unless heavy development costs can be recouped in later sales, the current 20 years of protection provided by patents should be extended in the case of newly developed drugs. However, in other industries new-product development continues despite high development costs, a fact that indicates that the extension is unnecessary.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the pharmaceutical industry’s argument against the challenge made above?
(A) No industries other than the pharmaceutical industry have asked for an extension of the 20-year limit on patent protection.
(B) Clinical trials of new drugs, which occur after the patent is granted and before the new drug can be marketed, often now take as long as 10 years to complete.
(C) There are several industries in which the ratio of research and development costs to revenues is higher than it is in the pharmaceutical industry.
(D) An existing patent for a drug does not legally prevent pharmaceutical companies from bringing to market alternative drugs, provided they are sufficiently dissimilar to the patented drug.
(E) Much recent industrial innovation has occurred in products—for example, in the computer and electronics industries—for which patent protection is often very ineffective.

@kiran legend,


imo:B

B states a reason why the patent period shud b extended..

I.e the time clinical trials take ..from the time patents is granted till the time they are brought into the market is approx 10 years.Thus they need the extended patent period to recoup their development costs for these 10 years..


thx

IMO B

alright, I see a point as to why B is relevant. But why not D? D is helping the argument in that other industries such as computer industry has to implement its innovations immediately else they become obselete.. isn't this point auguring a good sign for the patent providers to provide the extension to the manufacturers??

Is it because B is directly talking about the same industry and that's the reason why B is prfered over D?

i think u r talkin about E...

I think u have not read the question stem closely....


Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the pharmaceutical industry’s argument against the challenge made above?


we have to support the pharmaceutical industry’s argument and not other industries argument...

IMO: B

In my opinion B is the most logical one.