24 November 2011 -- Patents are a key incentive for investment in research and development and a strong patent system will provide confidence and encourage the significant investments in biotechnology innovation, while ensuring access for patients to new treatments, diagnostics and to researchers to continue their work.
The Government has given a detailed response to three historical reports from the Senate Community Affairs References Committee (2010), the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (2010) and the Australian Law Reform Commission (2004).
AusBiotech CEO, Dr Anna Lavelle said: “We congratulate the Government on responding to these previously unaddressed reports, which will now allow us to move forward with greater clarity to provide improvements to intellectual property management in Australia.”
In its report the Government noted that a number of recommended changes/actions are already being addressed through the ‘Raising the Bar’ Bill which is currently in the Senate awaiting passage.
Dr Lavelle said: “The Government’s response, which includes progressing the ‘Raising the Bar’ Bill, answers the stated community and concerns over patient and research access, while, ensuring a patent system that will encourage development of new biotechnologies. It provides further evidence that the private members bills on patenting biological materials currently in the Parliament are redundant and fundamentally flawed – and should be abandoned.”
Media enquiries: Lorraine Chiroiu, AusBiotech’s Communications Manager, lchiroiu@ausbiotech.org P: +61 (0) 39828 1414, M: +61 (0) 429 801 118
