Tuesday, November 25, 2008

"Strategic patenting" slammed

A European report on competition in the pharmaceuticals sector will criticise drug companies for the way they prolong drug patents and conduct litigation, an EU source familiar with the investigation said on Tuesday.

Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes is to publish interim findings of her department's broad probe of the sector on Friday.

So-called "strategic patenting", whereby drugmakers use minor product changes to win extra patent life for their medicines, plus the process of litigation used to block cheap generic rivals, will both come under fire.

More at Reuters

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