IP misuse blocking access to generics and biosimilars, says white paper

A new white paper has explored the misuse of certain intellectual property (IP) tools that block generic and biosimilar medicines for the first time since the findings of the European Commission Pharmaceutical Sector Enquiry in 2009.

Almost 70% of dispensed medicines in Europe are dispensed by the generics and biosimilars sector, helping patients and healthcare professionals manage some of the most challenging health conditions such as cancers, respiratory diseases, auto-immune conditions, diabetes, COVID-19 and others.

Findings presented in the paper stress the importance of a high-quality patent system, address elements that delay or discourage competition, such as the misuse of patent thickets or divisional patents, product hopping or pricing strategies, as well as systemic issues like patent linkage, that regularly delay the launch of generic and biosimilar medicines.