Organizer: the Cambridge Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences (LML) in combination with the Centre for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law (CeBIL) at the University of Copenhagen
Repurposing, the idea of finding new treatments for already authorised drugs, presents significant advantages for drug development. Modern drug development is hindered by high costs and research that takes over a decade. Repurposing is a potential solution to these problems because it is cheaper, faster and safer than developing new compounds. However, academics, policymakers and industry experts argue that repurposing is underutilised, pointing at gaps in patent and pharmaceutical law that make it financially unviable. The symposium focused on important policy issues for pharmaceutical repurposing. In particular, it examined new empirical data on patent protection, regulatory exclusivities and market authorisation pathways. It discussed two new public sector repurposing initiatives launched in the UK and EU, and investigate other policy frontiers. It had a hybrid format, with both in-person and online only tickets available. The 2022 CeBIL Symposium is organised by the Cambridge Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences (LML) in combination with the Centre for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law (CeBIL) at the University of Copenhagen. The Symposium is generously supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Hosted by the University of Cambridge, an international hub for legal and scientific expertise, we hope the event will stimulate discussion between legal, economic,business, medical, and scientific experts at a range of career stages.