Pharmaceutical patents - Assumptions

Evaluate the validity of the assumptions based strictly on the text:

Assumption 1 is valid because the text explicitly notes that monopoly prices "could be unaffordable to the public" and come "at a cost, in the nature of higher prices" [cite: 4116, 4117].

Assumptions 2 and 3 introduce completely unmentioned external themes ("dependence on other countries," "public health policy design in many countries") [cite: 4116, 4117, 4118].

Assumption 4 is a foundational premise of the text's core tension[cite: 4116, 4117, 4118]. The author details a direct conflict between the public's need for affordable medicine and the patentee's need for research returns, implicitly assuming that an equilibrium or balance must be navigated [cite: 4116, 4117, 4118].

Since 1 and 4 are valid, option (b) is correct[cite: 4116, 4117, 4118].

Answer: (b).