The patents problem

In conventional medicine the high costs of clinical trials are typically covered by pharmaceutical companies. Once the new patented drug goes onto the market, research costs are recouped and significant profits made until the patents expire. Unfortunately this is not possible with homeopathy.

As homeopathic medicines have been widely used for up to 200 years, they cannot be patented. This means that if a company pays for an expensive trial which confirms efficacy of a particular remedy, they cannot prevent other companies from making and selling the same product, reducing their return on investment.

Without the large financial incentives associated with patents, it is harder to find companies who are willing to invest in homeopathy research. Donors are needed, whether individuals or companies, who are willing to support research for the good of patients, rather than primarily for financial gain. It is HRI’s goal to identify such individuals and work with them to ensure that their money is put to good use to generate research of the highest quality.