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ARTICLE · 30 SEPTEMBER 2016

GSK Changes Approach To Patents In Developing Countries

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, recently announced that it is adopting a new approach to patenting its products around the world with the aim of...

United KingdomIntellectual Property

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, recently announced that it is adopting a new approach to patenting its products around the world with the aim of widening access to its medicines in the world's poorest countries.

In future, GSK will not file patents for its medicinal products in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Low Income Countries (LICs).  The World Bank currently defines such countries as those having a gross national income (GNI) per capita of USD 1045 or less in 2014.  GSK hopes that this will encourage generic companies to manufacture and supply generic versions of its medicines in these countries, the majority of which are in Africa.

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