Indigenous Co. to manufacture and sell cancer drug cutting price 90%

Mumbai : The Government has invoked a law which allows Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma to manufacture and sell cancer-treatment drug Nexavar at a cheaper rate. It will be about 90 per cent cheaper than charged by Bayer for its patented drug. The Pharma has been allowed to sell the drug at a price not exceeding 8,880 rupees for a pack of 120 tablets required for a month’s treatment as compared to a whopping 2.80 lakh rupees per month charged by Bayer.

The move would be of great relief to the kidney and liver cancer patients.

India Patents Office issued an order as a Compulsory License under Section 84 of the Indian Patent Act, which is in compliance with the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS agreement of the World Trade Organisation. The compulsory licensing is a provision under which government can allow a firm to produce a patented product without the Patent owners consent.