ENSafrica updates
Biopharming: new frontier for affordable medicines
ENSafrica- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- South Africa
- 11 April 2018
The South African government has focused on biopharming as a means of developing the bioeconomy for more than a decade. In addition, different government departments have already implemented legislation concerning plant-based protein production. Given this infrastructure and the highly active local biopharming research community, South Africa is considered a promising jurisdiction for the production of plant-based therapeutic proteins, with many possible opportunities for investment and collaboration.
Medical products: incentives regulation reloaded
ENSafrica- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- South Africa
- 14 February 2018
The South African minister of health has called for public comment on the recently published Draft General Regulations Relating to Bonusing. The draft regulations aim to flesh out Section 18A of the Medicines Act, which prohibits the supply of any medicine, medical device or in vitro diagnostic medical device that is subject to a bonus system, rebate system or any other incentive scheme.
Draft IP Policy Phase 1 – part two: access to medicines, state 'walk-in' rights and parallel import
ENSafrica- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- South Africa
- 06 December 2017
The recently published Draft IP Policy Phase 1 2017 includes a number of provisions relating to parallel import and state 'walk-in' rights for access to affordable medicines. Although there are complex issues surrounding access to affordable medicines, the inclusive process that the government has used in the implementation of the new policy is encouraging.
Draft IP Policy Phase 1: access to medicines and compulsory licensing
ENSafrica- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- South Africa
- 11 October 2017
The keenly anticipated draft IP Policy Phase 1 (2017) was recently published for public comment. It constitutes the first phase in the implementation of a comprehensive IP policy for South Africa. One of the key issues to be addressed is the interplay between the constitutional rights relating to property and access to healthcare. According to the policy, the scope of compulsory licences will be strengthened and clarified in an effort to facilitate the process of exporting IP goods, such as medicines.
Doctrine of equivalents and pharmaceutical patent infringement
ENSafrica- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- South Africa
- 09 August 2017
South African pharmaceutical product litigation case law provides no particular test that refers to the doctrine of equivalents. However, when interpreting the scope of patent claims, the courts may hold that a claim extends to obviously substituted equivalents in the infringing product or process that are not literally provided for in the specification and claims. As such, a pharmaceutical product or process with chemical equivalents may also be considered to constitute infringement.
Human genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9: South African legal perspective
ENSafrica- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- South Africa
- 17 May 2017
In South Africa, gene editing techniques have and are being used in research studies for therapy with adult human cells. However, the ethical concerns around somatic gene editing therapy are less controversial than with germline therapy. At present, the modification of a human embryo's germline for therapeutic purposes culminating in the reproduction of a human being is prohibited. Germline editing for research purposes might be permitted, but would require conditional ministerial approval.
