Data exclusivities could harm COVID-19 treatment patent innovation

Global IP

By Doris Estelle Long

Doris Estelle Long is the president of Doris Long Consulting, specializing in U.S. and international IPR and information security issues; a screenwriter and producer for VeraKen Productions; and a law professor emeritus at The John Marshall Law School. She has served as a consultant on IPR issues for diverse U.S. and foreign government agencies, including as attorney adviser in the Office of Legislative and International Affairs of the USPTO. She can be reached at prof.doris.long@gmail.com.

Posted August 12, 2020 11:51 AM

This is the first part of a two-part column. The second part is expected to publish Aug. 19.In March, Congress authorized more than $6 billion of taxpayer money to fund research and development efforts to combat COVID-19. Congress is reportedly preparing legislation to fund another $10 billion or more for COVID-19 vaccine research, development and distribution. There is no doubt that R&D in the pharmaceutical sector is costly. But what remains troubling is Congress’s failure to ensure the products that result …

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