WIPO Launches Pat-Educated: A New Tool for Global Patent Information on Pharmaceuticals
Today, WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) and the International Alliance of Pharmaceutical Producers and Associations (IFPMA) have unveiled an innovative online tool aimed at enhancing the understanding of the global patent status of pharmaceuticals by procurement agencies.
Introducing Pat-Educated
Pat-Educated is a collaborative initiative between WIPO and IFPMA, the global trade association representing the research-based pharmaceutical industry. This unique resource allows patent holders to provide information about patents covering approved pharmaceuticals through a free, open-access database.
Operational from today, this open database is accompanied by a platform enabling procurement agencies to make direct inquiries to companies.
About Pat-INFORMED
WIPO’s extensive expertise in the organization and public dissemination of patent information plays a crucial role in the success of Pat-Educated. The collaboration with IFPMA signifies a concerted effort to bring clarity to patent data concerning pharmaceuticals.
WIPO is hosting the database and contributing resources for its continuous development. IFPMA is working closely with the 20 leading research-based biopharmaceutical companies supporting this initiative, ensuring a consistent and organized approach.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry states, “WIPO is committed to increasing the transparency of the patent system and ensuring it works to benefit humanity. Pat-Educated will facilitate the procurement of essential medicines, supporting better health outcomes globally. Such partnerships are crucial to success in the field of public health.”
Bridging Information Gaps
While information about patent applications and grants resides in the public domain, resources that directly link patents to medicines currently on the market are scarce. Pat-Educated aims to address these gaps, making patent research easier, faster, and more accessible to a broader range of healthcare professionals.
Importantly, Pat-Educated also provides procurement agencies with a direct communication channel for follow-up inquiries to participating companies.
Featured in Pat-INFORMED
As of now, Pat-Educated houses information on over 14,000 individual patents, covering 600 patent families and 169 INNs (International Nonproprietary Names). These names are widely recognized and used to identify pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients in medications that span a wide range of conditions.
IFPMA Chief General Thomas Cueni emphasizes, “This initiative is a clear way to reduce the complexity around access to patent data, addressing a long-standing need in the healthcare sector. By facilitating access to patent data for public health professionals, Pat-Educated can help them make more informed decisions about procurement options, contributing significantly to global health.”
Wesley Kreft, Chief of Global Supply Chain at i+solutions, a Netherlands-based non-profit specializing in medical supply chain management for developing countries, adds, “Efficient procurement processes save lives by getting drugs to people more quickly. Pat-Educated has the potential to reduce the time required to procure medications for low and middle-income countries by 30 percent.”
In its current phase, Pat-Educated features patent data for small molecule drugs in areas such as oncology, hepatitis C, cardiovascular, HIV, diabetes, and respiratory treatments. Additionally, it includes products on the WHO Essential Medicines List that fall outside these treatment areas. In the next stage, the initiative will expand to cover all medical areas and explore the inclusion of complex therapeutics.
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