THE World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has launched a new online tool to help government medication procurement agencies across the globe better understand the global patent status of drugs.
The Patent Information Initiative for Medicines (Pat-INFORMED) has been developed in partnership with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA), which represents research-based pharmaceutical companies and associations across the globe.
WIPO is hosting the database and providing resources to ensure its continued development, while IFPMA is working closely with 20 biopharmaceutical companies that have backed the initiative.
"While information about patent applications and grants reside in the public domain, resources that directly link patents to medicines already on the market are scarce and limited," WIPO said.
The new database aims to help close these gaps and make patent research easier, as well as offering procurement agencies a direct communication channel with participating companies.
Pat-INFORMED currently hosts details of 14,000 drug patents.
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