It can take years between a medical discovery in a research lab and the launch of a safe, approved drug delivering the technology to patients. So many years that the patent registered to protect the initial discovery may well expire before its inventors reap the benefits. To remedy this, the intellectual property authorities of some countries, including Ireland under EU rules, offer so-called supplementary protection certificates (SPCs). These intellectual property rights extend the protection enjoyed by a patent to the corresponding authorised drug for five years, even when the typical 20-year life of the initial patent is over. Take Imlygic,…

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