The makers of __ knew their patent was about to expire so they added an additional chemical and changed the name.

• A. Prilosec
• B. Prozac
• C. Viagra
• D. Valium

Answer: (A)

Patents and extending protection by creating a slightly modified version of a drug. When a patent is about to expire, a company may seek to keep exclusive sales by developing a very similar compound and marketing it under a new name, essentially giving it a fresh patent life. The classic example is omeprazole, sold as Prilosec. To push past the original patent window, the company developed esomeprazole—the S-enantiomer—and marketed it as Nexium. Because esomeprazole is considered a distinct chemical entity, it could receive its own patent protection, allowing continued branded sales even after Prilosec’s patent ended. The other drugs listed did not follow this exact path of creating a new chemical with a new patent and a renamed product.