When patent protection expires for a pharmaceutical company, it forces changes within the company to adjust its business strategies from a monopolist position to a position that is much more competitive. With that premise, answer the following questions:
• Do the variable costs and marginal costs vary much between these two market positions for a specific drug? Why or why not?
• What happens to the average total cost curve for the same (now generic) drug with regards to the original (prescription) manufacturer and the new generic manufacturers?