Medicine ruling leaves a bad taste

08.03.2007 / 00:00 CET

Novartis has received concerns regarding our ongoing legal challenge in India, following the denial of the patent for our ground-breaking cancer treatment, Glivec.
We believe there is a need to ensure the facts of the issue are clear. This case is not about access to medicines; in India, 99% of patients who receive Glivec receive it free from Novartis. Our legal actions are about seeking clarity on how innovation is valued and protected in India. The Indian patent law limits patents to new chemical entities and does not recognise other forms of innovation necessary to bring better medicines to patients. We believe this unique hurdle to patentability in India is not in line with the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
Our actions in India do not hinder the supply of medicines to poor countries. The outcome of our case has no impact on the availability of HIV/AIDS drugs. While India is sometimes referred to as the “pharmacy of the developing world”, it is worth noting that generic companies target their sales elsewhere. Sustainable access to medicines in developing countries is complex and requires much more than the availability of generic drugs.
As the second-largest manufacturer of generics, Novartis understands and recognises the contribution of generics once drug patents expire; our concern is with the non-recognition of intellectual property rights that ultimately help sustain and advance pharmaceutical research and development.

Meni Styliadou
Novartis
Brussels

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