PhRMA Welcomes Brazilian Patent Law

The Brazilian Congress' approval last month of the government's controversial pharmaceutical patent legislation has been welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America. The legislation, which has been pending since mid-1990, permits for the first time patents for pharmaceuticals, chemicals and foodstuffs.

The move is a very positive step in the right direction, according to Leslie Ackerman, chairman of the PhRMA's Latin America Regional Steering Committee. He told the Marketletter that the bill addresses a number of key points, in that it includes no requirement for compulsory licensing and a ban on parallel imports and (most controversially) the provision of pipeline protection.

Representatives of Brazil's domestic manufacturers say the legislation represents a victory for the USA over developing countries, but the PhRMA has estimated that its member-companies lose around $600 million a year in Brazil as a result of patent piracy.