How far does the new doctrine of equivalents introduced by the UK Supreme Court in Eli Lilly v Actavis really extend the scope of patent protection for pharma companies in the UK?  (My own thoughts here).  Last night I attended a highly anticipated discussion of the case involving Lord Neuberger, who gave the leading judgment in the case. The important take away was that pharma companies do now have greater protection against those trying to circumvent their patents using a variant that was overlooked in the patent's claims.  And that, whilst one can never achieve complete harmony accross Europe, courts should now be more consistent in their decisions.  That is indeed great news for innovators!