35 USC 155A
Patent term restoration

Executive summary:

This document contains one section of the U.S. Patent Act (found in Title 35 of the United States Code). This page was last updated in November 2005. All of the sections of the Patent Act are listed on the Index page. A Word Index is also available to the Patent Act.

For more information on patent law, please see the Patent or Software Patent Sections of BitLaw.

Previous Section (§155) | Next Section (§156)

§155A. Patent term restoration

(a)

Notwithstanding section 154 of this title, the term of each of the following patents shall be extended in accordance with this section:

(1)

Any patent which encompasses within its scope a composition of matter which is a new drug product, if during the regulatory review of the product by the Federal Food and Drug Administration--

(A)

the Federal Food and Drug Administration notified the patentee, by letter dated February 20, 1976, that such product's new drug application was not approvable under section 505(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act [21 USC §355(b)(1)];

(B)

in 1977 the patentee submitted to the Federal Food and Drug Administration the results of a health effects test to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of such product;

(C)

the Federal Food and Drug Administration approved, by letter dated December 18, 1979, the new drug application for such product; and

(D)

the Federal Food and Drug Administration approved, by letter dated May 26, 1981, a supplementary application covering the facility for the production of such product.

(2)

Any patent which encompasses within its scope a process for using the composition of matter described in paragraph (1).

(b)

The term of any patent described in subsection (a) shall be extended for a period equal to the period beginning February 20, 1976, and ending May 26, 1981, and such patent shall have the effect as if originally issued with such extended term.

(c)

The patentee of any patent described in subsection (a) of this section shall, within ninety days after the date of enactment of this section [enacted Oct. 13, 1983], notify the Director of the number of any patent so extended. On receipt of such notice, the Director shall conform such extension by placing a notice thereof in the official file of such patent and publishing an appropriate notice of such extension in the Official Gazette of the Patent and Trademark Office.