We will not yield to pressure to grant patents, says Sharma

NEW DELHI, April 2, 2013



Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has termed "historic" the Supreme Court's rejection of Novartis' claim for patent for its anti-cancer drug Glivec.



He said the Indian Patent Act was in conformity with its international obligations under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement. "It is a historic judgment. It reaffirms the position of Indian law and, in particular, provisions of Section 3D, which mandates… a substantive innovation… for grant of a fresh patent," he said in a statement here.



Along with his Ministry, Mr. Sharma has been a strong votary of a compulsory licensing regime and has favoured no-compromise approach to the issue of life-saving drugs. "We have a commitment to the people of India, especially the poor, and will not succumb to any kind of pressure to grant patents beyond their normal lives…."



Novartis does not have a patent for Glivec in the Indian market as the drug was introduced here before India adopted its new patent regime.



However, since the new version of the drug is just a small improvement on the older one, India has rejected the company's patent appli cation.
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