Robert Cerwinski: Biosimilars, Legal Complexities, and Europe
Robert Cerwinski, JD, partner at Goodwin, explains the differences between European and US patent challenges for biologics.
Transcript:
Have biosimilars faced legal complexities in Europe similar to those in the United States?
The short answer is: not as much. The principal reason why, is in the European Patent Office, the EPO, there has been a very robust opposition proceeding for many years. What this has allowed is for biosimilar applicants to challenge patents that stand in the way of marketing a biosimilar early and effectively. We see now with IPRs (inter partes reviews) and PGRs (post-grant reviews) in the US, we see something akin to the European Patent Office (EPO) style oppositions, but IPRs and PGRs are quite a bit different. Arguably, it’s not as efficient of a mechanism. By the time the EMA approves a biosimilar, the biosimilar applicant has a number of years to use this very robust opposition proceeding in the EPO to try to clear patents away. So, it’s been easier for biosimilar applicants in Europe to actually reach market.
