&gt; Yes, the government granting monopoly rights in 2015 to a naturally occurring chemical discovered in 1933 is &quot;capitalism&quot;.<p>Nobody has been granted monopoly rights on anything.  The GP&#x27;s article (from 2012) is referring to a situation where there is only one FDA-approved supplier of a product (naturally-derived ACTH).  Nothing except lack of motivation is stopping someone else from entering the market.  The OP is discussing a particular brand of synthetic ACTH, which may or may not be in the same situation in Canada (sole approved drug).