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The National Medical Commission (NMC) has advised all medical colleges and healthcare institutions to utilize the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)'s Medical Innovations Patent Mitra platform to promote patenting and commercialization of indigenous medical innovations.

About Medical Innovations Patent Mitra Initiative

The Medical Innovations Patent Mitra is a centralized, expert-driven digital platform developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to provide end-to-end support for protecting, managing, and commercializing medical innovations developed by researchers, clinicians, faculty, students, and startups.

The initiative aims to bridge the gap between medical research and commercialization by providing comprehensive intellectual property (IP) assistance and removing financial and procedural barriers to patent filing.

Objectives

• Promote innovation and patent culture in India's healthcare sector.
• Facilitate protection of biomedical research through intellectual property rights.
• Support commercialization of indigenous healthcare technologies.
• Reduce financial and legal barriers associated with patent filing.
• Strengthen India's medical innovation ecosystem.

Key Features

The platform provides 100% government-funded support for the complete patent lifecycle, including patent filing, legal drafting, patent prosecution, examination responses, hearings, and maintenance fees, eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for eligible innovators.

It offers expert assistance through intellectual property professionals and medical experts, who conduct prior-art searches, evaluate the novelty of inventions, and prepare high-quality patent applications to improve the chances of successful patent grants.

The initiative supports a broad range of innovators, including:

• ICMR intramural and extramural research projects
• Faculty, clinicians, researchers, and students of recognized medical colleges and institutions
• DPIIT-recognized biomedical startups
• Independent medical innovators and research institutions

The platform also manages the entire patent prosecution process by responding to examination reports, handling patent opposition proceedings, and maintaining intellectual property portfolios.

In addition, Patent Mitra facilitates technology transfer by connecting innovators with pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and industry partners for licensing and commercialization of healthcare innovations.