The Argentine government repealed a resolution issued in 2012 that imposed strong restrictions on the granting of pharmaceutical patents.
The decision states that, from now on, the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) will evaluate patent applications on a case-by-case basis, without the additional conditions that had been imposed during Kirchnerism.
The measure was made official through a joint resolution signed by the Minister of Health, Mario Lugones, the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, and the head of the INPI, Carlos María Gallo.
End to a system that hindered innovation The
repealed regulations established a series of “guidelines” that in practice made it extremely difficult to patent medicines in the country.
These restrictions, promoted during the Kirchner governments, were identified by specialists as one of the main obstacles to the arrival of new therapies to the Argentine market.
With the new regulation, the INPI regains its ability to analyze each request according to current legislation, without additional limitations that do not exist in most countries of the world.
Sturzenegger welcomed the reform
.Although it does not bear his signature, the decision reflects the deregulation agenda promoted by the Minister of State Transformation
, Federico Sturzenegger.The official stressed that the resolution represents a profound change in the country's patent system.
As he explained, the previous regulations practically prevented obtaining pharmaceutical patents in Argentina, which affected both innovation and access to new therapies.
For Sturzenegger, the reform makes it possible to strengthen respect for intellectual property and accelerate the arrival of innovative medicines to the country.
What will happen to drugs that are already on the market
The resolution also includes a key clause to avoid conflicts in the pharmaceutical market
.For patents that are granted from now on linked to drugs that are already marketed in the country, the owners may not prevent the continuity of their sale or require retroactive payments.
The goal is to preserve market stability and ensure that patients maintain access to available treatments.
