Video interview: Novartis discusses challenges around second medical use

The biggest challenges in the life sciences concern second medical use patents and incentives for innovation, according to Lydia McNally, vice president, head of patents, oncology at Novartis.

McNally was speaking on a panel at Life Sciences Patent Network North America, an event hosted by LSIPR in Boston in June.

The panel discussed the challenges in the area of second medical use patents, including the difficulty of obtaining and enforcing them.

McNally said there may be a need to “look beyond the patent system”, perhaps by introducing modifications to data exclusivity and assessing drug pricing.