Most of the money is spent on passing FDA approval and testing. Research is a small portion of the cost, you are correct there. The real problem with patents i

Most of the money is spent on passing FDA approval and testing. Research is a small portion of the cost, you are correct there. The real problem with patents is that they don't protect the idea, they put it in public and try to give a monopoly to a certain person or 'legal person'(corporation). The medical patents are designed to encourage disclosure so that the medicine can become widely available later. That is the real reason medical patents are beneficial to society. It's a deal that has to be made where both sides give a little and both sides gain a little. I know we haven't seen a lot of this in America lately, but it's compromise. If you really want to keep something a secret, you don't patent it. I think the law should allow non-profits and things like universities and hospitals to violate patents and copyright for the public good. That would get rid of the "they aren't helping sick people" problem and still keep the profits for the drug companies.