In the U.S., it costs about $15,000 to $20,000 and can take up to three years to process a biotech patent application. The time frame for the process in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) nations is comparable to that, but the costs are generally a lot less, and those nations also are taking resolute measures to dispel any apprehension, as well as any external challenges – such as theft-by-illegal-generics and corruption – that foreign-based drugmakers may perceive, or fear, to be an issue.