Biopharmaceutical innovation has significantly improved public health, saving billions of lives, enhancing quality of life, and driving economic growth. This progress depends on a symbiosis between public funding for basic research and private funding for drug development. Patents and regulatory exclusivities are essential to protect exceptionally large R&D investments, enabling the private sector to translate scientific research into drugs and treatments. This report provides a practical overview of the functions of intellectual property rights in the life sciences ecosystem, aiming to enrich and foster a balanced and factually informed debate on innovation policy in the biopharmaceutical sector.

Biopharmaceutical innovation has significantly improved public health, saving billions of lives, enhancing quality of life, and driving economic growth. This progress depends on a symbiosis between public funding for basic research and private funding for drug development. Patents and regulatory exclusivities are essential to protect exceptionally large R&D investments, enabling the private sector to translate scientific research into drugs and treatments. This report provides a practical overview of the functions of intellectual property rights in the life sciences ecosystem, aiming to enrich and foster a balanced and factually informed debate on innovation policy in the biopharmaceutical sector.