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The legal protection and effective utilization of products and technologies we develop are essential for the sustained growth and advancement of ºÚÁÏÍø, and for ºÚÁÏÍø to continue to provide a stable supply of pharmaceuticals to patients. Therefore, we pursue a number of strategic intellectual property activities and strategies related to our product portfolio and product creation operations.

The Intellectual Property Department has stationed persons responsible for intellectual property at ºÚÁÏÍø's R&D facilities around the world and conducts activities globally relating to patents, trademarks, designs and copyrights while working closely with each Group of the R&D department. Furthermore, the filing of patent applications, acquisition of rights and prior art searches are carried out through close collaboration with R&D and business divisions. In addition, when ºÚÁÏÍø introduces new technologies and promising new candidate compounds, it cooperates with relevant organizations and emphasizes the steadfast protection of patent rights while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Besides exclusivity that protects prescription pharmaceutical candidate investigational compounds, for discoveries such as active ingredient applications, manufacturing methods, formulations and intermediates as well, the Intellectual Property Department cooperates closely with the R&D department to ensure that pharmaceutical products are properly protected after launch and focuses on strategic patent applications and the acquisition of rights. We aim for optimal patent portfolio management that also includes screening methods and biomarker measurement in drug creation activities.
Additionally, ºÚÁÏÍø places high importance on patent searches of other companies in its intellectual property strategies and also gives sufficient consideration to respecting the rights of third parties.

Rather than simply looking to third-party licensing fees on patents as a revenue source, we strive to create a strong patent portfolio that will contribute to our business.
Regarding the possible use of treatments for diseases occurring specifically in areas with inconvenient access to medicines, we plan to proactively out-license our patents. For neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), in particular, we are striving to conduct the most efficient research on drug discovery by opening up our patent portfolio externally, sharing goals and commitment with a wide range of partner organizations and combining ideas, technologies and knowledge.

To protect the outcome of our drug creation activities, we diligently file patent applications in Japan and overseas. At the same time, to efficiently manage resources, we carefully evaluate the strategic importance of each inventive discovery and determine whether to file patents abroad and, if so, how many and in which country to file them.

ºÚÁÏÍø develops product names for all pharmaceuticals that are protected by trademark rights, and implements brand strategies throughout the world in collaboration with the Marketing Division.