Rio de Janeiro, May 3. Rejected! That was the decision issued on May 2nd by Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) over one of Gilead’s patent applications (PI0809654-6) for the drug sofosbuvir. The drug is used to treat people living with Hepatitis C and people co-infected with HepC and HIV/Aids and has high efficiency and cure rates of 97% in Hep C cases.
The Working Group on Intellectual Property of the Brazilian Network for Integration of Peoples (GTPI/Rebrip), a coalition of civil society organizations and activists coordinated by the Brazilian Interdisciplinary Aids Association (ABIA), filed several patent oppositions in this case.
“It is a victory for sure, although the results remain partial. In March last year, we from GTPI had submitted an opposition against Gilead’s patent application (PI0809654-6)and in October last year INPI issued an opinion for rejection of this application”, explained Pedro Villardi, GTPI coordinator. “The decision issued this week, on the 2nd of may, confirmed the rejection”
The decision emphasized again the “lack of descriptive sufficiency” and “inventive activity” of the patent application. “As this is a decision rather than an opinion, it should have immediate effects if Gilead were to accept it without appeals”, said Villardi.
Gilead has 60 days to file a new appeal.
Read the INPI’s decision (doc in portuguese)