Karnataka - Bidar   

Drug companies told to take advantage of patent regime

Staff Correspondent

Judge asks companies to invest more in R&D

BIDAR: Indian pharmaceutical companies should take advantage of the opportunities offered by the patent regime. They should compete with multi-national companies by regularly developing new drugs and patenting them, High Court judge N. Kumar said here on Saturday.

Speaking at a seminar on "Patent law and its prospects on development and disease prevention strategy" organised by R.V. Bidap Law College, Mr. Kumar said there is no dearth of talent in the country. "We should inspire our scientists to invent new drugs and patent them. This is the era of intellectual property rights and we cannot lag behind," the judge said. He advised companies to improve the rate of invention by increasing investment in research and development and by motivating their employees.

He said the Indian Patent Act, 1970, has helped companies produce many life-saving drugs using alternative and economic procedures. The Indian pharmacy industry has become self-reliant with a revenue of over Rs. 197 billion. This is 1.3 per cent of the total global sales and there is scope for improvement. It is heartening to note that the industry is growing at the rate of 9 per cent in the past five years, he added.

Ayurveda

He asked scientists to take up detailed study of Ayurveda and other traditional methods to ensure better treatment.

Dean of Law, Gulbarga University, J.S. Patil delivered the keynote address. He deplored the attitude of some companies, which, he said, are trying to patent age-old treatment practices by faking them as their invention.

He noted that patents are territorial by nature and protect individual interests of inventors. They also encourage invention and research and development, he said.

Karnataka Rashtriya Education Society president Channabasappa Halahalli, college principal A. Suryakant Rao and others were present. The Union Human Resources Development Ministry had sponsored the seminar.

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Drug companies told to take advantage of patent regime

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