Patent Policy Statement From FEBC

FEBC, the Forum for European BioIndustry Coordination (of which the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations is a member), representing the pharmaceutical, chemical, agrifood, plant protection, animal health and animal nutrition industries, is urging the European Parliament and the Council to reach rapid agreement on the patent question, which it contends is vital for the expansion of these industries in Europe. Ahead of the meeting of heads of state in Essen, Germany, on December 9, it said this is an opportunity to harmonize intellectual property protection for biotechnology inventions across the European Union.

A statement from the FEBC commented: "it is perhaps not sufficiently appreciated that our ability to isolate materials derived from the human body has been practised for several years in health care, and subject to review by ethical committees. The opportunities presented by novel genetic techniques are a continuation of this ability and represent a major breakthrough for medical diagnostics and disease treatment."

Moreover, it said, both the human cost and economic price of failure to ensure the dynamic development of these technologies in Europe would be enormous. And Forum members believe it is now vital to overcome the current impasse on patents in a way which satisfies both the ethical concerns and the need to stimulate these important applications.