Cipla asks govt to revoke Novartis’ patent; launches its drug

October 30, 2014 07:10 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 06:46 pm IST - New Delhi

Taking the patent battle to Novartis, India’s Cipla has launched low-cost generic version of the Swiss drug maker’s respiratory drug Indacaterol sold under the Onbrez brand, while asking the government to revoke patents over the medicine.

Cipla, which has launched its own version under the Unibrez brand, has asked DIPP to revoke five patents of Novartis relating to the product citing need for public health access and stated the patent holder Novartis does not manufacture the drug in India.

“We believe that Cipla has potential to manufacture adequate quantities of the drug and make the same available in the country,” Cipla said in a statement.

Cipla has launched the product under the brand name Unibrez in Delhi, Cipla said adding: “Novartis’ product is over 400 per cent more expensive than Cipla’s product.”

The company has kept the price of its generic version at Rs 130 per strip of 10 tablets.

Stating that it has filed a representation with the DIPP seeking revocation of five patents of Novartis relating to Indacaterol, Cipla said: “Our decision is specific to the situation of this product regarding the strength of the patent and the public health access need.”

Elaborating the reasons for approaching the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) to revoke the patents, Cipla said: “Novartis has been granted these patents since 2008-09 but has chosen not to manufacture the same in India.

Novartis merely imports a negligible quantity of these products manufactured in Switzerland as per its own data filed before the Patent office.” Cipla said.

The import for the year 2013 as declared by Novartis in the Patent office is a meagre 53,844 units which do not satisfy even 4,500 patients annually. The shortage is more than 99.97 per cent, it added.

When contacted, a Novartis spokesperson said: “Novartis has not received any notice from regulatory or other authorities about this issue.”

Cipla claimed there are more than 1.5 crore patients in India who need the drug. These are the declared number of patients and it could be even more considering the high prevalence of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in urban and rural areas.

Last year in April, Novartis lost a seven-year long legal battle for getting its blood cancer drug Glivec patented in India and to restrain Indian companies from manufacturing generic drugs, with the Supreme Court rejecting the multinational company’s plea.

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