As per a new amendment of the patent rule in India, pharmaceutical companies cannot file fresh patents on a re-engineered version of the same medicine.

What does this mean to you and me??

India is acknowledged to be the source of cheaper medicines for terminal diseases throughout the world. Almost 70% of medicines used in developing and underdeveloped countries, for fighting diseases like AIDS, Cancer etc., are bought from India. Indian Pharma companies re-engineer (do minor molecular changes) drugs from big companies like Novartis, and come out with cheaper versions of the same drugs. NGO's across the world who are fighting cancer, AIDS etc., are thankful to our Pharma companies for this, since this enables patients with very low or no income survive.

The difference is huge - A drug which is used by AIDS patients will cost 1.2 L per month, if bought from an MNC company, and 8000/- (Yes, Eight Thousand Indian Rupees), if you use a generic variant from an Indian Pharma. The new amendment in Patent laws enables this re-engineering, thereby ensuring drug availability to almost all.

There are two problems here: Big MNC's, who spent Billions of Dollars on drug research, will feel the heat, since they will face competition from low-cost varieties. It will take more time for them to break even for a particular brand. The IP (Intellectual Property) abuse will be the second issue, and one can argue that this will discourage MNC's from spending money on new drug research.

But we need to look at the humanitarian aspects also here. What value is of a drug to me, if I can't afford that? Pharma companies had been taking customers for a ride all these years. They decide the price of their medicine, and you can't do anything about it. Though unethical, the move to encourage re-engineered cheaper drugs will be a boon to common man.

MNC's are worried about their profit books. Will they ever worry about the plight of people who can't afford even a square meal??

They better do...

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