IPR & Cancer Drugs

• The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) has signed sub-licence agreements with some Indian companies, as well as an Indonesian firm to produce generic versions of the cancer drug Nilotinib.
• Nilotinib, used for treating chronic myeloid leukaemia, is currently marketed by Novartis under the brand name Tasigna.
• This move is expected to make cancer treatment more affordable and accessible to patients in low- and middle-income countries, providing a much-needed treatment option for those diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Medicines Patent Pool

• The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries.
• Founded on July 2010 in Geneva.
• Its public health driven business model aims to lower the prices of HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis C medicines and facilitate the development of better-adapted HIV treatments through voluntary licensing and patent pooling.

What is Patent Pooling ?

• In patent law, a patent pool is a consortium of at least two companies agreeing to cross-license patents relating to a particular technology. 
• The creation of a patent pool can save patentees and licensees time and money, and, in case of blocking patents, it may also be the only reasonable method for making the invention available to the public.

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Practice Questions for Prelims

Consider the following statements:
1. According to the Indian Patents’ Act, a biological process to create a seed can be patented in India
2. In India, there is no Intellectual Property Appellate Board
3. Plant varieties are not eligible to be patented in India

Choose the correct statements:
a) 1 and 3
b) 2 and 3
c) 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans. c)

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