Product Hopping: How Drug Companies Trick Patients and Raise Prices
When a brand-name drug’s patent is about to expire, companies don’t just wait for generics to arrive—they product hopping, a tactic where drug makers make minor changes to an existing medication to extend their monopoly and block cheaper alternatives. Also known as patent evergreening, it’s not innovation—it’s a legal loophole designed to keep prices high and patients paying more. This isn’t science. It’s business. And it’s happening right now with drugs you’re probably taking.
Here’s how it works: A company sells a popular drug, say, for high blood pressure. When the patent nears its end, they launch a new version—maybe a slightly different pill shape, a new coating, or a combo with another drug. Then they stop making the original. Suddenly, your doctor can’t prescribe the cheap generic anymore. The new version? It’s priced like the old brand-name drug. And guess what? Insurance often won’t cover the generic because it’s no longer available. generic drugs, lower-cost copies of brand-name medications that are chemically identical and just as safe. Also known as therapeutic equivalents, they’re the key to affordable care. But product hopping blocks them. brand-name drugs, medications sold under a company’s trademark name, often at much higher prices than generics. Also known as originator drugs, they’re the target of this strategy become the only option—even if the change adds zero clinical benefit.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s happened with drugs like OxyContin, Actos, and even asthma inhalers. Patients get switched without warning. Pharmacies can’t fill the old prescription. Doctors are pressured to write for the new version. And the cost? Sometimes it jumps from $10 a month to $300. The FDA doesn’t stop this. State laws can’t touch it. And insurers? They often pay for the new version because it’s the only one listed. pharmaceutical tactics, strategies used by drug companies to maintain profits, including patent manipulation, direct-to-consumer ads, and rebate schemes. Also known as market exclusivity maneuvers, they’re behind most price spikes. The result? People skip doses. They ration pills. Or they pay out of pocket and go into debt.
You won’t find product hopping in most patient brochures. It’s hidden in fine print, pharmacy formularies, and corporate press releases that call it "improvement." But if you’ve ever been told your cheap generic is no longer available—and the new version costs five times more—you’ve seen it in action. Below, you’ll find real stories and breakdowns of how this plays out with actual medications, what regulators are (and aren’t) doing, and how to protect yourself when your prescription changes overnight.
