The European Commission’s plans for an EU-wide compulsory licensing mechanism have drawn a wide range of responses, with some stakeholders wanting the whole idea dropped and others applauding it and calling for the mechanism to be used outside health emergency situations too.

The European Patent Office has reported a steady flow of requests for unitary patents since the new system was introduced in June, with more than 1,100 applications in the “health” sector. But many patentees are choosing not to take part, with some estimates putting the number of patents opted out of the system at half a million so far.

This is an update of recommendations from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on the authorization of new medicines in the EU, and updates on EU marketing authorization changes recommended by the CHMP.