Second medical use: a regulatory perspective

As compound patents and regulatory data protection for medicinal products expire, pharmaceutical companies increasingly look to develop new uses for their products. This strategy usually involves filing second medical use patents to protect the invention and research investment.

Already registered?

For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription that we can add you to for FREE, please email Adrian Tapping at atapping@newtonmedia.co.uk

More on this story

Europe

UK court deals blow to Spanish pharma’s SPC bid for contraceptive

24 March 2026 The drugmaker’s attempt to extend protection for a fast-growing oestrogen-free contraceptive ran into a landmark EU ruling, with the court not persuaded to read it narrowly.

Europe

EPO reports record patent filings, but pharma and biotech lag

24 March 2026 The European Patent Office’s Technology Dashboard reveals only a slight increase in medtech filings, and drops in biotech and pharma, against an overall healthy backdrop.

Europe

Emotional Perception: What next for patent holders?

3 March 2026 After an overwhelmingly positive Supreme Court ruling for companies working in AI, Rachel Free of CMS outlines the necessary practical steps for patent holders—including enforcement of the ‘black box’ tech, the ruling’s influence on the UPC, and how to manage related applications.

More features

UK court deals blow to Spanish pharma’s SPC bid for contraceptive

EPO reports record patent filings, but pharma and biotech lag

Part II: The race to replace semaglutide heats up

Part I: Ozempic goes generic as Novo’s key patent expires

Sandoz strikes fresh biosimilar deal with South Korean biotech

US firm boosts patent bench with Desmarais hire

HSF Kramer hires patent litigator as partner in Germany

INTA: ‘New normal’ for in-house counsel as budgets fall

Second medical use: a regulatory perspective

More on this story

Editor's picks

Editor's picks

More features