title: Expert review of drug patent applications: improving health in the developing world.
abstract: Many developing countries have enacted intellectual property laws allowing patents on pharmaceutical products. These countries now must figure out how to provide legitimate protection of innovative discoveries while avoiding drug patents that do not conform to their laws. Using case-study examples, including the antiretroviral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF, or Viread), we demonstrate the importance of having outside experts participate in the review of drug patents. Vibrant patent review systems require sharing information among developing countries and active consultation with local public health authorities.
authors.affiliation: Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge, Lewes, Delaware, USA.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
authors.forename: Priti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.forename: Aaron S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kesselheim
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003906:Developing Countries; D017277:Drug Approval / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010330:Patents as Topic; D000068698:Tenofovir
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D063065:Organophosphonates; D000068698:Tenofovir; D000225:Adenine