India issues compulsory license for Bayer cancer drug Nexavar

13 March 2012

The Indian Patent Office has issued the first-ever compulsory licence in India to a generic drug manufacturer. This effectively ends the monopoly in India on the drug Nexavar (sorafenib tosylate) used to treat kidney and liver cancer for German drug major Bayer (BAY: DE). Indian generics firm Natco Pharma (524816: BY) was issued the license under section 84 (1) (b) of the Patents Act.

The Patent Office acted on the basis that not only had Bayer failed to price the drug at a level that made it accessible and affordable, it was also unable to ensure that the medicine was available in sufficient and sustainable quantities within India, it was noted.

Bayer will explore options

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK