We’re pleased to inform you that Third World Network and the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatments would like to invite you to a webinar on “Proposal to Amend the Indian Patents Act: Adverse Implications for Access to Medicines” to raise awareness on the potential implications of the proposed amendments to the Patent Act. For further details, please see the announcement below:
Webinar on ‘The Proposal to Amend the Indian Patents Act: Adverse Implications for Access to Medicines’
Discussions are underway that the Government of India is considering amendments to the Indian Patent Act, 1970. The proposed amendments may weaken the existing public health safeguards that ensure access to affordable medicines in India.
The Indian Patent Act incorporated certain provisions (Section 3 (d) and (e)) to restrict patent protection on incremental pharmaceutical inventions to existing drugs. The provision relating to pre-grant opposition allows “any person” including individuals, patients, patient groups and civil society organizations to oppose the granting of patents and is a mechanism to prevent patents on applications that do not deserve patents under Indian law. Other provisions include seeking information on corresponding foreign applications (section 8) and statements on the working of the granted patents (Form 27). All these provisions play a crucial role in preventing the evergreening of patents, facilitating domestic production, and abuse of patents. Thus these safeguards play a crucial role in ensuring accessibility and affordability not just within India but also in other countries that benefit from the supply of generic medicines from India.
It appears that these proposed amendments are influenced by the demands of trade associations supporting multinational pharmaceutical companies and developed countries like the UK, particularly in the context of the ongoing negotiation of the UK-India free trade agreement.
Against this background, the Third World Network and the Working Group on Access to Medicines and Treatments are organizing a webinar that aims to raise awareness of the potential implications of the proposed amendments.
Date: Friday, June 2, 2023
Time: 7 to 8 pm (Indian Standard Time)
Speakers
Biswajit Dhar
International Trade Expert
Vice President Council for Social Development and Former Professor, JNU
Leena Menghaney
Public Health, Intellectual Property, and Access to Medicines Expert
MSF Access Campaign
Register in Advance for this Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuc-6ppj4jEtffHVkDG107l5tfMOSw29nz
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.