[e-drug] British Medical Journal on Novartis vs India

["Alexandra HEUMBER" <Alexandra.HEUMBER@brussels.msf.org>]

E-DRUG: British Medical Journal on Novartis vs India
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Please find below an article from the British Medical Journal about the 
Novartis case against the Indian Government. The journalist refers to the 
European Parliament (EP) Hearing which took place last Tuesday where MSF called the members of 
the European Parliament to join others, notably the German Minister of development, in asking Novartis to drop the case.
[copied as fair use]


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British Medical Journal Article
MSF challenges Novartis's action over Indian patent for imatinib
Ganapati Mudur

1 New Delhi
The international aid organisation Médicins Sans Frontières has called on
the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis to withdraw its challenge to the
Indian government, which has refused to give the company a patent on its
leukaemia drug imatinib (Glivec).

In a case scheduled to be heard in an Indian court next week, Novartis has challenged sections of the Indian patent laws that are seen as an  important public health tool by Médicins Sans Frontières, doctors, lawyers, and health activists, because they ensure cheap access to medicines. 

The sections do not allow patents for new applications for old drugs, or for products that are simply a new combination of old drugs. Novartis started legal action after its patent application for the cancer drug imatinib was rejected by Indian patent examiners, who described it as a new form of a known substance. Indian manufacturers produce generic versions of imatinib mesylate that cost a fraction of the cost of the drug marketed by Novartis.

Médicins Sans Frontières has warned that if Novartis wins the case, fewer generic versions will be available for production in India. "This will  have a devastating impact on people around the world who rely on affordable medicines from India," the organisation said.
I
ndian generic manufacturers have been producing inexpensive versions of drugs that are then sold in developing countries. "India has emerged as  the pharmacy of the world's poor," said Ellen t'Hoen, director of policy advocacy with Médicins Sans Frontières. About 50% of AIDS drugs in the developing world are Indian generics, she said.

A Médicins Sans Frontières official briefed the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this week at a special hearing on implications of the challenge by Novartis. "We're calling on parliament members to join others in asking Novartis to drop the case," said Ms t'Hoen.

Novartis has said it does not agree with the contention that its legal action in India will adversely impact access to affordable medicines in  the developing world. The company said generics would not solve the challenge of improving access to imatinib mesylate.

A year's treatment with a generic version of imatinib mesylate in India would be four times a person's annual average income, the company said. Novartis currently provides the drug free to more than 6500 patients in India. Neither generic companies nor the government are providing access programmes to this medicine, the company said.

"While patent protection has increased over the past decade, the  innovation rate has dropped," said Kapoori Gopakuma, a researcher with the Centre for Trade and Development in New Delhi.

Find out more and sign up to our petition: 
http://www.msf.org/petition_india/international.html

Alexandra Heumber
EU Advocacy Liaison Officer
Médecins Sans Frontières
Access to Essential Medicines Campaign
Rue Dupré, 94. 1090 Brussels
++32 (0) 2 474 75 09 (Dir off)
++ 32 (0) 479 514 900 (Mob)
++ 32 (0) 2 474 75 75 (Fax)
Alexandra HEUMBER <Alexandra.HEUMBER@brussels.msf.org>