Russia Fast-Tracks Patent Applications In The War Against Covid-19

• Published date: 30 June 2021
• Subject Matter: Intellectual Property, Food, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Patent, Biotechnology & Nanotechnology
• Law Firm: Gowling WLG
• Author: Ms Ksenia Paramonova

Since April 2020, as part of its efforts to address the covid-19 pandemic, the Russia Patent and Trademark Office (Rospatent) has introduced faster prosecution for patent applications for viruses and concomitant diseases, such as pneumonia.

The following will receive priority consideration:

• anti-viral drugs, prophylactic anti-viral drugs (e.g vaccines), drug-free methods of treatment and prevention of viral infection;
• diagnostic methods for viral diseases (e.g., diagnostic test systems);
• medical devices (e.g., artificial respirating units and inhalers);
• protective equipment (e.g., medical masks, eye protection devices and protective overalls); and
• sterilising and disinfecting agents.

According to this procedure, a first substantive office action or a grant decision will be issued within two months.

It has now been over a year since the procedure was introduced and there has been a high volume of applications put forward for preferential consideration. According to recent Rospatent statistics, the average time to issue the first document in a substantive examination is 27 days, while the average time to consider an application, from the initiation of the substantive examination to the issuance of a final decision, is just under four months.

The fast-track process does not require additional fees and it begins automatically...