Australia reviews patent term for pharmaceuticals
Managing IP is part of the Delinian Group, Delinian Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX, Registered in England & Wales, Company number 00954730
Copyright © Delinian Limited and its affiliated companies 2024

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Australia reviews patent term for pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical companies could find the life of their patents cut short in Australia after the government announced it is rethinking provisions that enable patent rights to be extended for up to five years

Mark Dreyfus, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation, said yesterday that the government has set up a panel to review extension arrangements for pharmaceutical patents.


“In certain circumstances, pharmaceutical patents can be extended by up to five years beyond the normal patent term. These provisions were introduced back in 1998, and are due for review,” he said.

He added that the review has been launched following concern about the difficulties of bringing generic products to market.

The three-person panel will be chaired by Tony Harris, former NSW Auditor-General and Parliamentary Budget Officer, with academic Dianne Nicol and Nicholas Gruen of Lateral Economics.

Dreyfus said the review will consider issues that affect competition between drugs makers, the importance of the patent system to fostering innovation, international approaches to extending patent term for pharmaceutical products, and Australia’s commitments under trade deals and its membership of the WTO.

The Panel's final report is due to be provided to the government early next year. A public consultation process will form part of the review.

more from across site and ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A 36-member team from Zhong Lun Law Firm, including six partners, will join the newly formed East IP Group
The Delhi High Court sided with Ericsson against Indian smartphone maker Lava, bringing the companies' nine-year dispute to a close
We provide a rundown of Managing IP’s news and analysis from the week, and review what’s been happening elsewhere in IP
Tennessee has passed the ELVIS Act, a law that fights against AI models that mimic the voice and likeness of music artists
Rob Stien, chief communications and public policy officer at InterDigital, says the EU has forgotten innovators while trying to solve an issue that doesn’t exist
As Australia’s Qantm IP leans towards being acquired by a private equity company, sources discuss what it could mean for IP firms
Law firms that are conscious of their role in society are more likely to win work, according to a survey of over 23,000 in-house professionals
Nghiem Xuan Bac Pham, managing partner of Vision & Associates, discusses opportunities created by the US-China rift as well as profitability issues facing IP practices
Douglas Leite and two of his colleagues were intrigued by Bhering Advogados’s mission to grow its patent litigation practice
Each week Managing IP speaks to a different IP practitioner about their life and career
Gift this article