Abbott Norvir Compulsory Licensing Would Take Several Years, NIH Says

NIH cannot grant Norvir patent licenses under the Bayh/Dole Act until Abbott has exhausted its appeals process, and follow-on products would have to gain standard FDA approval, the agency says. NIH expects to make a decision on whether to apply its "march-in" authority for the HIV product as soon as possible. The precedent established could have an immediate effect; NIH received a petition requesting the use of march-in rights for Pfizer's Xalatan.