Pat-INFORMED – The Gateway to Medicine Patent Information

The Patent Information Initiative for Medicines (Pat-INFORMED) provides a service to the global health community, particularly those involved in procurement of medicines, by facilitating easy access to medicine patent information. The data is provided directly by the biopharmaceutical companies and hosted by WIPO.

Anyone can search the Pat-INFORMED database simply by entering a medicine’s INN (International Nonproprietary Name) to obtain relevant information about its patent status in a particular country. Uniquely, Pat-INFORMED also provides a facility for procurement agencies to make follow-up inquiries directly with participating companies. While it is not a tool to provide Freedom to Operate analysis, it facilitates access to patent information and can improve efficiency in procurement processes.

Access the Pat-INFORMED database

Video: Pat-INFORMED explained

Which therapeutic areas does Pat-INFORMED cover?

Pat-INFORMED currently provides information on key patents for all small-molecule products submitted by participants in the Initiative. The following therapeutic areas are covered:

  • HIV/ AIDS, Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes, Hepatitis C, Oncology, Respiratory conditions; and
  • All products on the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) that are not within these six areas.

The database is being gradually expanded to cover other small molecules products outside these areas.

Who can use Pat-INFORMED?

Anyone can search Pat-INFORMED. It is of particular use to pharmaceutical procurement services and related specialists of:

  • National pharmaceutical services
  • Ministries of health
  • National patent offices
  • International procurement agencies

The follow-on inquiry facilities is reserved to procurement agencies. Companies’ responses are not confidential.

More questions? Read the full list of Pat-INFORMED FAQs.

Testimonials

Participants

Pat-INFORMED is an initiative of WIPO, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and 20 leading, research-based biopharmaceutical companies.

These 20 companies chose to voluntarily provide information on key patents for their approved pharmaceutical products in therapeutic categories covered by Pat-INFORMED. They also commit to respond to bona fide inquiries from procurement agencies.

WIPO builds on its large database expertise to hosts this data, providing links to Patentscope when possible. Patent data is provided and updated directly by the companies.

IFPMA and WIPO logos
A public-private partnership between WIPO and the research-based pharmaceutical industry, Pat-INFORMED builds on the strength of each sector to tackle global health challenges.

Reference

Non-WIPO medicine/patent databases