Pacific trading partners stuck on medicine monopoly periods

LAHAINA, Hawaii

PACIFIC trading partners are deadlocked over intellectual property protections, including monopoly periods for next-generation drugs, Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari said on Wednesday.

Mr Amari said he saw no sign of the United States backing down on a demand to protect for 12 years data used to develop biologic drugs, which are made from living cells.

Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb has said he sees no legitimate reason to extend it past five years. "There is still a huge gap over patents," Mr Amari told reporters after Wednesday's plenary session. He sa…