Experts: capitalization of patents in biopharma is a growth driver for the national economy

The issues of intellectual property protection in the pharmaceutical industry became the topic of a discussion that took place on the sidelines of the SPIEF with the participation of industry representatives and government authorities.

We managed to gather high-ranking representatives of government authorities and pharmaceutical companies at one site. These are Sergey Glagolev, Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, Yuri Zubov, Head of Rospatent, and General Director of the Moscow Center for Innovative Technologies in HealthcareVyacheslav Shulenin, Head of the Republic of MordoviaArtyom Zdunov and Peter Bely, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promomed.

They discussed the development of patent legislation in the current environment, regional experience, start-ups in the field of new drug development and government support measures. One of the important points of the meeting was the thesis that patents protecting domestic innovations in biopharmaceuticals should become a driver of the growth of the domestic economy and contribute to increasing the "capitalization of the country."

Experts agreed that intellectual property issues have become particularly acute over the past two years: some Western companies that had patents blocking competitors' exit have left the Russian market. In addition, there are so-called "evergreen patents", which significantly complicate the rapid launch of domestic analog drugs on the market. Another problem is the practice of compulsory licensing, when the use of a patented invention is allowed in exceptional cases. At the same time, Russian companies are creating innovative medicines, the rights to which must be effectively protected.

"In the state programs Pharma 2020 and Pharma 2030, we are based on the principle of protecting and capitalizing on innovation. Our products must be in demand, fairly licensed, and accessible to patients. They should also bring royalties to their creators. Patentable intellectual property objects should be directly related to the quality and safety of drugs. And, in general, innovations should be clinically understood and actually implemented in actually created medicines," said Sergey Glagolev, Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, during the discussion.

To date, the Russian pharmaceutical industry has demonstrated the ability to create the latest effective drugs that help fight new or the most difficult-to-treat diseases.

"There was a slight imbalance in the direction of applications from foreign companies. Now this balance is changing in the other direction. To a large extent, due to the fact that it was Russian companies that began to submit more applications and saw the value in patenting their developments. The patent activity of Russian pharmaceutical companies is growing. These are mostly secondary technical solutions (compositions, salts, etc.). But you always have to start somewhere. Indeed, a very serious market has been created in the Russian Federation today in order to support the shortage of certain drugs and move forward. We also face the task of exporting high-tech products, so it is important to pay special attention to the protection of intellectual property rights. The specialists of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property have experience in implementing a strategy for an integrated approach to obtaining legal protection for domestic developments. . A striking example is the Sputnik V vaccine: the obtained legal protection of domestic drugs made it possible to reliably protect the interests of both developers and Russia as a whole," said Yuri Zubov, head of Rospatent.

Domestic innovative drugs that provide breakthrough medical solutions that are in demand all over the world will ensure the growth of the country's capitalization as a whole, the participants of the meeting also said.

© RIA Novosti / Alexey Nikolsky

Peter Bely, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promomed

"The Russian pharmaceutical industry is currently going through a turning point when it is impossible to overestimate the importance of intellectual property protection," said Peter Bely, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promomed. In his opinion, the covid epidemic has clearly demonstrated that domestic companies can make any drugs that are in demand all over the world. This means that Russian pharmaceutical innovations are a growth driver not only for the individual sector, but also for the entire economy, along with, for example, oil., gas and IT sector.

"We are working in the best interests of patients. We create innovative solutions for the treatment of the most complex diseases: aggressive cancers, obesity, diabetes, HIV, etc. And this carries no less export potential than products in traditional and high–tech industries," Bely stressed in an interview with RIA Novosti.

The founder of Promomed company also noted that the interactionRospatent's cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry has reached a new level in recent years, and the positive dynamics contribute to the further development of the industry. In particular, the Center for Advanced Technologies, established at Rospatent, ensures the coordination of high-tech projects and ensures the creation of reliable patent protection for domestic innovations.

So, according to Bely, everyone knows about the potential threat of the so-called disease X (the so-called theoretically unknown pathogen capable of causing an epidemic or pandemic). Thanks to cooperation with the Center for Advanced Technologies, created within the Rospatent structure, the Company managed not only to create a technological platform that allows for the production of universal drugs for targeted therapy and post-exposure prophylaxis of almost any pathogens of pandemic diseases, but also to ensure reliable patent protection for the innovations created.

The head of Promomed also stressed that Russia has a strong pharmaceutical industry. Government support measures can stimulate further development of the industry and increase domestic export potential. "Innovations are being created in our country, and every market participant and every institution should do everything to increase our intellectual and innovative leadership in the world, as this directly determines the increase in the country's capitalization," the expert concluded.

Source: RIA Novosti

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