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, (left) said last month 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.