A Brazilian Supreme Court judge suspended extensions for pharmaceutical patents in the country, and although the decision is only temporary, the move still holds the potential for opening the door to numerous lower-cost generic medicines.
The decision came in a closely watched case that has pitted the pharmaceutical industry against consumer advocates over patent rights and the extent to which many prescription drugs are affordable. At issue is the constitutionality of a provision in the country’s intellectual property law allowing lengthy extensions on patents.
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