Big Pharma’s Push Into Emerging Markets Meets More Resistance: “Unwarranted” Patents Targeted
An international aid group has built a patent database -- www.patentoppositions.org -- to help patients and advocacy groups in developing countries challenge what some regard as weak patents filed by Big Pharma, Pharma Times reports.
Drug makers are targeting developing countries in hopes of arresting a trend of weak revenue growth, due to a lack of recent blockbuster drugs and to expiration of patents on existing blockbusters.
GSK Revenue TTM data by YCharts
The online news report singled out efforts to bypass patents on drugs made by GlaxoSMithKline (GSK), Abbott (ABT) and Novartis (NVS):
"Due to the volume of applications, local patent examiners can miss information and grant unjustified patents," Vikas Ahuja, president of the Delhi Network of Positive People, told Pharma Times.
"Just putting two or three separate pills into one, or using known industry practices to formulate a drug, should not be considered innovative enough to warrant a new 20-year patent, for example. By filing patent oppositions, we can highlight this information and the possibility of invalid patents being granted is reduced," he says.
From the editors of YCharts.YCharts Pro Investor Service includes professional stock charts, stock ratings and portfolio strategies.
Filed under: Company Analysis
Search Articles
Subscribe to YCharts Analysis
