Extending Your Patent on a New Application for an Old Drug    
The period that is necessary to obtain a marketing authorisation to bring a new drug onto the market in the European Union significantly reduces the effective patent protection of that drug and, hence, the possibility to recover the high research and development costs. Stijn Lagaert at LC Patents provides an overview of how to compensate for that loss; the European Union member states provide supplementary protection certificates, which may extend the patent life of certain human and veterinary pharmaceuticals for up to five years.