Indian pharma at odds with US trade group over USTR Priority Watch List

The tug of war continues. Even as the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, the domestic drug industry lobby group, has appealed to the US Trade Representative to remove India from its Priority Watch List - the latter includes countries that are alleged violators of US patent laws - Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), in its submission, has requested the USTR to continue to keep India on the Priority Watch List in the 2017 Special 301 Report, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent.

Published annually, the Special 301 Report reviews intellectual property protection and enforcement abroad and identifies challenges facing America's innovative and creative industries.

The Priority Watch List comprises countries that have lenient patent laws affecting the interests of US drug companies. Last year, the USTR's Special 301 Review placed India on the Priority Watch List, expressing concern over certain provisions in India’s patent regime including provisions related to pre-and post-grant challenges, irregularities in the application of Section 3(d), use of compulsory licenses and failure to ensure data exclusivity.