There are a lot of factors involved in reproducing/replicating any compound outside of academia. The compound itself can't be patented forever- hence the existence of the industry we are currently supporting (generics), but the process in making those compounds can be patented and licensed with variable expiry dates. The challenge of it all may truly be actually synthesizing the drug (but these ”recipes" are often available through scientific journals). What often slows the process is needing to make a drug without tapping into extraneous licensing costs, and in pharma, it includes anything from synthesizing the actual drug, or materials used, even storage (I've known patents placed on optimum temp ranges for refridgeration). Skies the limit.
So if someone were to offer a cake recipe but you'd need to pay the fee for whipping eggs with a whisk bc that part of the process was patented- you either need to pay the per application fee, or devise another way to mix eggs--this can often be the bottle neck- but once you figure out you can use a shaker bottle to the same effect, you tackle the next hurdle. These small subtle changes can alter the final product: will you make a cake, yes, of course, but taste/texture/density/appearance may be different...then viability comes into play.
Note that there are often cases drugs are licensed outright and mass produced, or sold (we are familiar with these arrangements). But with Corti, it's a little different.
-RG
