Enigma acquires rights for CAP database

Date:09-22-2015

Enigma Marketing Research (EMR) recently announced that it has acquired the global rights from Cabinet Alice de Pastors (CAP) for a database which identifies Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) for agrochemicals. The database was first established in 1997 after the entry in force of the EEC Regulation 1610/96 and 1998 Swiss law and is updated on a monthly basis for 31 European countries.

SPCs extend the life of a patent for up to a maximum of five years and are granted in Europe on a national basis. “Any company planning to enter the EU market must establish when the patent for the active ingredient, mixture products or other secondary patents expired, if SPCs were granted and whether these have now expired” said Dr Nigel Uttley of EMR.

The number of active ingredients being introduced into the market has fallen over the last 20 years but there has been a proliferation of new products in the form of mixture or combination products, many of these are patented and have SPCs. Since 2000, EMR has published 8 reports which have identified and profiled over 180 active ingredients coming off patent. More detailed analysis of the IPR surrounding an active ingredient is essential especially SPCs for the European Market.

Over the last 24 years EMR has specialised in providing information and consultancy for the Crop Protection industry. In 1995, it published its’ own database, AgriBase, which covers almost all the active ingredients used in the crop protection industry and is ideal for the first phase of any new market entry investigation and has carried out many consultancy projects aimed at identifying opportunities in the agrochemical industry. “The ability to monitor and provide our clients with SPC data will greatly enhance EMR’s service to the agrochemical sector” said Dr Nigel Uttley of EMR.