Evergreening
Evergreening is a strategy in which a pharmaceutical company extends a drug's effective patent protection through incremental modifications, such as new formulations or dosing, to delay generic competition and preserve market exclusivity and revenue beyond the original patent's life.
What is Evergreening?
Evergreening is a strategy in which a pharmaceutical company works to extend the effective patent protection of a drug through incremental changes rather than a genuinely new product. The aim is to keep competitors from entering the market once the original patent would otherwise expire.
Common tactics include introducing new formulations, dosing schedules, delivery methods, or combinations that attract fresh patent claims. These modifications can prolong the period during which the company faces little or no generic competition.
Why does Evergreening matter?
By delaying generic entry, evergreening preserves a drug's market exclusivity and revenue beyond the life of the original patent, which keeps prices higher for longer. This has direct consequences for what payers and patients spend on medications.
The practice is a recurring subject of debate in pharmaceutical policy and patent law, weighing incentives for innovation against access and affordability. Critics argue it can reward minor changes that offer limited clinical benefit while blocking lower-cost alternatives.
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