Friday, October 18, 2013

ET EU EH?

On October 18, 2013, Canada and the European Union signed an agreement-in-principle to free trade between their two markets.  Although the legal text has yet to be finalized (or published), one controversial aspect of the negotiations has been harmonization of Canadian patent law with that of the European Union.  It is likely that this will benefit brand pharmaceutical firms at the expense of generic drug companies, and lead to higher prices for prescription drugs claimed in valid and enforceable patents.