To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate

Change current patent laws for Cancer and related drugs

Hold immediate hearings to change the current patent laws which allow a seventeen year period for a cancer drug monopoly to a shorter number of years. Reduce the period to seven and or when the drug company re-coupes the cost of development and a has return on investment consistent with other non cancer drug products. Furthermore change the law so that sucessfull cancer drugs are not renewable with minor changes to the chemistry which show no beneficial improvement.

Why is this important?

Any one whose family is affected by cancer know that the cost of the cancer drugs are unreasonable, bankrupt the medicare fund, and bankrupt family nest eggs. In many cases these drugs are priced at the highest possibly price and abut are not expensive to develop or to manufacture. The current patent laws are inappropriate and outdated for drug development. This was highlighted in the recent 60 minutes segment on this topic:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-cost-of-cancer-drugs/
The current law is bankrupting Medicare, the insurance companies, and our citizens. It is time for the public to pressure our representatives to change these laws which are no loner in the public interest and only benefit drug companies and their stockholders.