Is it time to unlock biotech patents?

Biotech patents are worth big money, so companies would fiercely resist a compulsory licence.

We’re in for another round of the biotech patent wars, with announcement the Productivity Commission will inquire into the compulsory licensing of patents. If adopted, compulsory licensing could increase public access to patent-protected diagnostics and therapies, and foster research that has been inhibited by “patent thickets”.

Biotech is the future. It’s about money – potentially very big money. It’s also about saving lives, whether from an early death or from discomfort and disability. The inquiry represents an effort to achieve a balance between public and private goods in a way that is consistent with Australia’s international obligations.

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