Supplementary protection certificates

The system of supplementary protection certificates ("SPCs") was introduced In 1993 as a means to effectively extend the patent term of protection for particular pharmaceutical products. It is intended to apply in circumstances where the term of a patent monopoly for a pharmaceutical products has been significantly eroded by the time taken for the grant of a marketing authorisation. This toolkit explains a number of key aspects of the SPC system and difficult issues that it has raised.

Supplementary protection certificates
SPCs cannot be based on a medical devices certificate
SPC protection based on 'subject-matter of the invention'
A Swiss MA is the
Patentability of stem cells
Paediatric extensions to SPCs
Conditions for obtaining an SPC