Drugs for Indian Poor Spark Pfizer Anger at Lost Patents

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-27/drugs-for-indian-poor-spark-pfizer-anger-at-lost-patents.html

In trying to get sophisticated medicines to its neediest citizens, India is increasingly pitting its generic-pharmaceutical industry against international drugmakers, threatening their growth in emerging markets.

An Indian regulatory board this month upheld a ruling that allows Natco Pharma Ltd. (NTCPH) to make a low-priced copy of Bayer AG (BAYN)’s Nexavar cancer treatment. The drug is one of at least four that have had their patents weakened, revoked or rejected in India in the past year. The country also has refused a patent for Novartis AG’s (NOVN) Gleevec leukemia medicine, and the Supreme Court will rule April 1 on the company’s appeal of the decision.

Those steps are needed to put modern medicines into the hands of Indians, according to aid groups and doctors. Western drugmakers including New York-based Pfizer Inc. (PFE) say the country, which has a $30 billion drug market that’s growing 13 percent a year, is abusing international law and allowing domestic companies to profit from products discovered at Big Pharma’s expense.

The dispute illustrates how emerging markets are turning out be less lucrative than drugmakers expected. London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) has warned that so-called compulsory licensing of patented products may hurt profit growth. One advocacy group now is pushing stricken Western countries such as Greece to follow India’s lead, raising the prospect of further pressure on drug prices.

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