Actually, its very easy. Government makes a list of life saving drugs. Then sets a maximum price on the drugs in the list. If a monopoly refuses to comply, the government calls for yearly bids from companies around the world (including generic drug makers from India). These companies fill the supply gap and in the meantime capitalism works and a local company steps in. There is no rocket science in manufacturing these drugs and pens - trivial once you have the recipe.

And countries, which put people before corporations, actually do this.

Setting a maximum price does not allow the government to take the patent away. The companies could simply refuse to comply, and the government would either effectively ban the drug or be forced to buy the patent/license at a fair market price.

The government has more than enough in its arsenal to force these companies to comply. cf Joseph Nacchio and QWest Communications. It knows how to play dirty and kneecap someone.

All they have to do is write the law that says they can.

There is a Supreme Court decision that says confiscation of a patent is a constitutional taking, so they would actually have to change the constitution.

Curse the law of law!!

That already exists in the US. Any drug created with the use of federal money gives the gov't "march in rights" where they can seize the patent if they feel that the company is preventing access to patients. A senator attempted to do this a few months back and the NIH declined to use such rights.[1]

[1] http://www.patentdocs.org/2016/04/members-of-congress-seek-n...