Regional Seminar on the Multilateral Legal Framework and Practice on Patent Protection in the Pharmaceutical Field, organized by the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and State Service of Intellectual Property and Innovation under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent) took place on May 27-28 on Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic. EAPO representatives participated in the works of the seminar and delivered presentations.

The seminar was opened by welcoming address by the Chairman of Kyrgyzpatent Mr.Nazarbekov M.R. and greeting speeches by the heads of delegations from EAPO and WIPO.

Over 60 people have participated in the works of the seminar; amongst them were representatives of the National Patent Offices of the States Party to the EAPC (Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russian Federation, Republic Of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan), representatives from Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, members of Parliament Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, delegates of Governmental Bodies of Kyrgyz Republic, patent attorneys, inventors, patent holders, representatives of NGOs, as well as delegates from pharmaceutical companies – Novartis and ActoGenix.

In the course of the seminar presentations were made, covering matters of patent protection of medicines; state policy in Health field, in particular, provision of access to medicines; application of patents in biotechnological and pharmaceutical fields; patent protection of products and processes of production thereof in accordance with TRIPS Agreement; exceptions from patentability, as well as various mechanisms restricting the monopoly on medicines.

Presentations of the EAPO representatives were dedicated to matters relating to legal and practical aspects of patent protection of medicines in the EAPO, as well as examination practices in the field of Chemistry and Medicine.

As the result of the heard reports and discussions, participants of the seminar adopted a Resolution which stated the relevance of the issue of patent protection of medicines and provision of access to them, and availability within the global patent system of effective mechanisms, which allow for regulation of national policy in the field of Health and supply of the market with necessary and affordable medicines.

Participants expressed gratitude to the hosts of the seminar and EAPO and WIPO as organizers, noting great organization of the event, relevance of the touched subject, the richness of content of the program, high qualifications of the speakers, as well as the necessity and importance of conduction of similar events in the future.