EU court gets tough on patent extensions for combo products.

摘要

Time is money, and that is what makes the lag between the filing of a patent application for a drug and the date it hits the market so painful for companies to endure. To make up for the wait, in 1992 the EU introduced 'supplementary patent certificates' (SPCs), which can grant up to five years of additional market exclusivity after the underlying patent of a medicine expires. Now, after two recent rulings in the EU, experts warn that drugmakers should plan more carefully when seeking SPGs for combination drugs, which can be complicated because these products often contain ingredients beyond those covered by a company's patents.