(a) whether the Government proposes to make certain drugs license-free in the
country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has received applications from the domestic
drug companies for grant of compulsory license in the country;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken/proposed by the
Government thereon; and
(e) the number of applications still pending with the Government along with
the reasons for their pendency?
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a)&(b): There is no such proposal to make certain drugs license-free in the country.
(c) to (e): Yes. The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has
received two applications for grant of Compulsory License in the country from the domestic drug companies
after 1.1.2005 i.e. after the introduction of the product patent regime in India. The details of the
applications are as under:-
(i)M/s NATCO Pharma Limited had applied under Section 84(1) of the Patents Act, 1970 for a compulsory
license against the Patent No. 215758 which was granted to M/s. Bayer Corporation for the cancer drug
‘Sorafenib’/‘Tosylate’. The CGPDTM granted Compulsory License to M/s. NATCO Pharma Limited on 09.03.2012.
(ii) M/s BDR Pharmaceuticals International Limited had applied under Section 84 (1) of the Patents
Act, 1970 for a compulsory license against the Patent No. 203937 which was granted to M/s. Bristol-Myers
Squibb for the drug ‘Sprycel’ covered under the said patent. The said application is required to be
adjudicated under the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970.