Patent is a legal right which is granted for the purpose of protecting the value of an invention and encourages the inventor to share his invention with the public.

As in other fields, patent protection encourages also researchers by protecting new therapies and R&D studies in the medical sector. Patent protection provides a 20-year protection in the pharmaceutical sector starting from the invention of the molecule. However, considering the fact that it takes approximately 12-15 years for converting a patented molecule into a drug that can be introduced into the market and the period during which active benefit is derived from patent protection goes down to 5-8 years.

Patent law has been adopted in Turkey in 1999. Yet, this law encompasses only the molecules for which patent application has been made after 1995. Therefore, patent rights do not protect the original drugs registered prior to 1995.