In recent years, significant progress has been made globally in disease prevention and treatment, including HPV vaccines, gene therapy, and insulin biosynthesis, effectively extending life expectancy. These achievements cannot be achieved without an innovation ecosystem built on the patent system. The monopoly gains within a certain period conferred by the patent system are indispensable to support the enormous R&D investment in the pharmaceutical industry. However, high prices for patented medicines have also sparked widespread criticism of the patent system. Large numbers of the world’s population are still nagged by insufficient availability of medicines or unaffordable health care costs. This problem is especially pronounced in developing countries.
When patents’ exclusive rights contradict public health issues, how to balance the patentee and the public interest has become a widely concerned policy issue. The importance of this issue has been further highlighted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must revisit the relevant conclusions from the TRIPS Agreement and the Doha Declaration on Public Health, summarize, and learn our lesson. We also need to explore a patent system in harmony with public health interests and provide