SPIEF: Yury Zubov on Rospatent’s Role in Innovative Pharmaceuticals Development

On 16 June 2022, the Head of the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) Yury Zubov delivered a speech at the RBC’s session “Healthy Society: Focus on Russian Producers Support and Innovation Policy” organized at the Saint-Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Mr. Zubov elaborated on the role that Rospatent plays in pharmaceuticals development. “The current circumstances make intellectual property (IP) rights protection particularly relevant in pharmaceutics. The Government should undertake measures to support national pharmaceutical producers. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rospatent launched the fast-track examination of applications for inventions and utility models aimed at treating coronavirus. This allowed Russia to patent the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world”, said Yury Zubov. He also specified that from the beginning of the pandemic to the present day the Office received more than 1’000 applications and granted more than 550 patents for these inventions and utility models.

Rospatent monitors trends in patenting socially important pharmaceuticals. “This year, focus in the pharmaceuticals have slightly changed. The Office more frequently receives patent applications related to cardiovascular diseases therapy, antibacterial drugs and tuberculosis treatment”, Rospatent's Head said. Meanwhile, most applications are filed by higher education institutions (37%) and pharmaceutical producers (20%).

Rospatent’s Head also mentioned the Center for Advanced Technologies Support that started to operate in April 2022. The Center’s mission is to coordinate knowledge-based projects aimed at substituting foreign products and innovative technologies, in particular pharmaceuticals, its tasks also comprise promoting comprehensive legal protection for advanced national developments. “The Support Program does not violate the rights of patent holders, including foreign ones. It will ensure domestic market demand and facilitate the commercial and technological expansion of Russian products in foreign markets. Several pilot projects have been already developed, all related to healthcare and pharmaceuticals. One of these is implemented in collaboration with Promomed Group and another one is implemented with the Moscow Center for Innovative Technologies in Healthcare. These projects aime at developing essential technological solutions and finding the fastest way of their introduction”, Mr. Zubov said.

Mr. Zubov also noted that the Office works towards alignment of the national procedure for assessing the unity of invention requirement with the approaches used under international IP treaties. In May 2022 the Academic Council of the Federal Institute for Industrial Property (FIPS) examined the outcomes of the relevant research project.

The Head of Mordovia Artem Zdunov highlighted the efficient cooperation between regional authorities and Rospatent related to the IP ecosystem development. “We are unanimous with the Office. Time flows and brings unusual circumstances. We comprehend our duty to protect innovative developments, rather than simply generate them”, he said.

“One more joint project of Promomed Group and Rospatent focuses on a steady and consistent upgrade of professional skills of employees working in pharmaceutical companies’ patent departments. The competent high-level dialogue between the regulator and companies is very important. That is why we greatly appreciate the opportunity given by the State to take part in the advanced fellowship program with FIPS. This opportunity will allow us to meet the best world practices and apply these skills to protect the IP rights of the Russian innovators”, Promomed Group’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Petr Bely said.

Promomed Group’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Petr Bely, Executive Director of Biokhimik JSC Dmitriy Zemskov, Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology Vadim Tarasov and other stakeholders also shared their professional opinion concerning the session’s topic.