The Egyptian Patent Office, pursuant to the GATT-TRIPS Agreement, is now accepting applications for pharmaceutical products and agri chemical products. We have been advised that it is expected that Egypt will amend its law to permit the grant of patents on pharmaceutical inventions no earlier than the end of this year and that, when enacted, this will provide that acceptance of "black box" applications will be delayed until at least the year 2000 (i.e., five years after the GATT-TRIPS Agreement came into effect).