Review of pharmaceutical patents in Australia

Article  \  24 Oct 2012

The Australian Government has appointed an expert panel to review pharmaceutical patents. 

The stated aim of the review is to evaluate whether the system for pharmaceutical patents is effectively balancing the objectives of securing timely access to competitively priced pharmaceuticals, while fostering innovation and supporting research. In particular, the extension of term provisions will be reviewed.

The panel will submit the report in April 2013 after a public consultation.

A link to documents outlining the terms of reference and procedures involved can be found here.

We expect that the panel will shortly issue a discussion document inviting feedback from interested parties. We will provide updates on the review as they occur.