Pharma firms seek redefining of patent act

Withdrawal of data exclusivity clause can cause reduction in medicine prices.

KARACHI:

Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Chairman Muhammad Haroon Qassim has urged the government to redefine the Patent (Amendment) Act 2002 in consultation with all stakeholders, as implementation of the data exclusivity clause will hurt the pharmaceutical industry.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Qassim said data exclusivity guaranteed additional market protection to the original pharmaceutical product manufacturer by preventing health authorities from accepting applications for generic medicines - an equivalent of the original product - during the period of exclusivity.

“Implementation of data exclusivity clause will result in price hike and closure of many pharmaceutical manufacturing companies,” he warned. “Even off-the-counter medicines, such as paracetamol, won’t be manufactured in Pakistan, if the data exclusivity clause is implemented.”

Qassim said that owing to lack of research, third world countries mostly made generic medicines and many of these countries had rejected data exclusivity rights because these would not allow production of generic medicines without the consent of original manufacturer.

“We want the government to allow more generic companies to come into the country. This will help reduce medicine prices owing to more competition and also discourage monopoly of few companies,” he stressed.

The stance that India and some other developing countries had taken to object data exclusivity had helped Pakistan, he said, adding that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had also recommended to the third world countries not to implement data exclusivity rights.

PPMA South Zone Chairman Dr Kaiser Waheed said that third-world countries like Turkey, Brazil and India had decided not to implement data exclusivity rights and Pakistan should follow this model.

There are 450 pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan, including 25 multinationals.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2011.