On Friday 8 May, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program for independent inventors and small businesses.
The pilot program is one option to support those seeking a breakthrough in the development of a vaccine to fight the current pandemic.
“….Accelerating examination of COVID-19-related patent applications, without additional fees, will permit such innovators to bring important and possibly life-saving treatments to market more quickly.”
- Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO