I saw this one coming a mile away. Johnson & Johnson's exclusive patent on the antipsychotic Risperdal is set to expire next year, so they did what any big pharma company does in that situation: panic, and then figure out a strategy to milk money out of something that seems like something but is actually nothing.

Invega, a new schizophrenia drug from J&J, is chemically incredibly similar to Risperdal, but different enough to persuade people that they're taking something new. Smart. Also, J&J is trying to cling to their Risperdal patent by saying they're going to study the drug's effect on children, so they need an extension. Hey, J&J! This isn't a term paper! You can't get an extension! (Okay, that's not true. I'm sure they'll it.)

Here's a novel idea: What if a pharma company actually conducted their research and created products and patents based on medical necessity? God only know what would happen.

J&J schizophrenia drug wins federal approval

[This image is the patent drawing for the Wright Bros.' flying machine. I guess Risperdal could get you flying too, if you take enough.]