Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First-Ever Compulsory License Issuance In India Could Have Implications For HIV Medication
"On Monday, the Indian Patent Office effectively ended [German drug maker] Bayer's monopoly for its [cancer drug] Nexavar and issued its first-ever compulsory license allowing local generic maker Natco Pharma to make and sell the drug cheaply in India," Reuters reports. "India's move to strip ... Bayer of its exclusive rights to [Nexavar] has set a precedent that could extend to other treatments, including modern HIV/AIDS drugs, in a major blow to global pharmaceutical firms, experts say," the news service writes, noting, "It is only the second time a nation has issued a compulsory license for a cancer drug after Thailand did so on four drugs between 2006 and 2008." Thailand also has issued compulsory licenses for HIV/AIDS and heart disease medications, according to Reuters (Kulkarni/Foy, 3/13).
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