Patent Problems for Roche's HIV Drug

Leading pharmaceutical company, Roche received a fresh blow after the Indian Patent Office in Chennai has granted a stay on the patent it had awarded to the company’s HIV-related drug Valganciclovir. The Patent Office had originally //awarded the patent back in 2007 without hearing objection of Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS and Tamil Nadu Networking People with HIV/AIDS.

The decision was challenged both in the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court forcing the Patent Office to reject the patent by claiming that it “lacked an inventive step and did not satisfy the requirement of showing increased therapeutic efficacy as required under Section 3(d) of the Patent Law”.

Meanwhile Roche has gone on the offensive and has filed a patent infringement case against Cipla, which is manufacturing a generic version of the drug. 


Source-Medindia
RAS