Pharma MNCs seek US action against generic threat from India

US pharma majors have sought President Barack Obama's intervention to stop generic threat to high-value drug patents amidst a string of new generic drug releases by Indian companies.

These MNCs want action against India to stop more local companies producing up to a dozen new varieties of cheap generic drugs that are still on-patent.

While, in his State of the Union address, President Obama had mentioned reform of the patent regime, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is seeking targeted reforms to curb abusive patent litigation while maintaining incentives for biomedical innovation.

The move comes at a time when a committee appointed by the Indian government is reviewing drug patents of foreign firms to see if compulsory licences can be issued for some of them, to break exclusivity rights and thereby bring down costs.

Some of these drugs are used in the treatment of disease like cancer, diabetes, hepatitis and HIV.

Drug MNCs feel frustrated in their pursuit of profit by the Indian government's decisions on patents and pricing as New Delhi pushes to increase access to life-saving treatments by India's 1.2 billion people, only 15 per cent of who are coverd by health insurance cover.

India is reported to be on the US government's priority watch list of countries whose practices on protecting intellectual property should be monitored closely.