The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7380 p737
17 December 2005

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More licensed child medicines a step closer

Having more medicines licensed for use in children came a step closer last week with approval of a research incentive scheme by the EU Council of Ministers (PJ, 12 February, p168).

Companies that test medicines for their suitability for paediatric use are to be given an extra six months’ patent protection regardless of the outcome of the tests.

Draft EU legislation on the matter has been progressing through European legislative procedures since September 2004 despite vigorous opposition from generics manufacturers. They say that the proposal will delay the launch of generic competitors to proprietary medicines and inflate the cost of health care.

The proposal now has to pass a second reading in the European Parliament and is expected to be implemented next year. Four years will have passed since it was first mooted in 2002.