Theory and practice of intellectual property
№ 4 / 2025

ISSN (Print) 2308-0361
ISSN (Online) 2519-2744

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33731/42025.346584

Submitted     2025-07-29
Accepted      2025-10-02
Published      2025-12-15

New inventive step requirements to pharmaceutical inventions in Ukraine: will it help to protect a balance between public and private interests?

Oksana Kashyntseva
Ph.D. (Law), Associate Professor,
Leading Researcher at the Department of Research on Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights in the Healthcare Sector at the Intellectual Property Scientific Research Institute of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine
Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2598-5614

Sergiy Kondratyuk
Ph.D. (Law), Acting Senior Scientific Researcher at the Department of Research on Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights in the Healthcare Sector at the Intellectual Property Scientific Research Institute of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine
Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3950-8217

Abstract
New edition of Rules for drafting, submitting, and examining an application for an invention and an application for a utility model adopted in Ukraine has the potential to limit evergreening for pharmaceutical inventions. The article analyzes the content of new anti-evergreening provisions for polymorphs, stereoisomers, and prodrugs introduced by the Rules, comparing them with international recommendations, European Patent Office and other jurisdictions’ approaches. While this development may be perceived as positive, language on ‘new technical property’ may serve as a backdoor for patenting low-quality inventions.

Keywords: evergreening patents, TRIPS flexibilities, medicines, access in Ukraine

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