Reaching a milestone in pharmaceutical patenting in Brazil

摘要

Patent protection is a huge step in the innovation chain. It means that the inventors believe their efforts in the search of a new product have reached a point no one else ever has. Although this is impressive in itself, it must be noted that some industries do seem to have to walk some extra miles to reach innovation status. That is usually the case for the pharmaceutical area. Most consumers are unaware that before reaching the shelves of their drugstores, drug compounds were researched for years, tested in laboratories and submitted to a series of specific regulations for the Research and Development of new drugs set out by governmental bodies - in Brazil, this is the National Health Surveillance Agency-ANVISA. In addition, Brazil has effectively put into force its Biodiversity Law number 13123/15, which means more regulations for this sector will follow, as the researchers usually make use of natural compounds and/or their traditional knowledge, which is an information or practice conducted by natives, traditional communities or traditional farmers, regarding properties or direct or indirect uses associated to genetic heritage.