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The present day health care system is in shambles. The image of the pharmaceutical industry is one of disease and misery. The credibility gap between its social obligations and motives, between real medical needs and profitable markets is widening. Unethical practices are the order of the day. Introspection, self-regulation and discipline are totally missing. MNCs are mainly concentrating on investments in R&D only in those drugs which ensure adequate returns of investment. Everyone is running behind monetary gains, whether it is the manufacturer of drugs or a person indulging in prescription practice, completely ignoring the interests of the consumer and the patient ahead of the shareholder.
India entered the product patents regime in January 2005 with the enactment of the Patents (Amendment) Act of 2005, thus heralding a new regime of 'ever greening' of patents by MNCs. By charging a premium for their drugs the patent holders made the products, mainly the essential and lifesaving drugs, out of reach of the common man. The Act allows multinational pharmaceuticals to obtain frivolous patents resulting in non-availability of or excessive pricing of patented medicines.
Centad organised a series of sensitisation workshops on 'Pre-grant Opposition of Patent Applications' in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Bangalore.
The workshops aimed to sensitise several stakeholders including scientists, senior management of pharmaceutical companies and representatives of human rights organisations by spreading awareness about the concept and importance of the pre-grant opposition mechanism. The thrust was to encourage organisations to accelerate the process of preparation and submission of these oppositions.
The workshops were attended by a diverse group of senior managers of pharmaceutical companies, patent attorneys, intellectual property consultants, scientists, academicians, human rights organisations, and civil society groups.
To view the Rapporteur's reports of the workshops held in various cities, click on the links given below
Mumbai
Hyderabad
Delhi
Bangalore
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