Opposition to the new patent claims on the Johnson & Johnson drug is a test of how well the rules against evergreening are working.
A REPORT mid-February in a South African health journal was an eye-opener. It had a detailed account of how desperate patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening conditions were sourcing generic versions of medicines from India since the original drugs made by pharma multinationals were prohibitively priced and out of their reach. The report tracked relatives who were making trips to Indian cities to buy supplies in bulk from wholesalers, underlining the point that even with the tab for a flight (lasting over 10 hours) and stay in hotels, the generic medicines were a fraction of the cost charged by the originator companies.
This story is from the March 01, 2019 edition of Down To Earth.
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This story is from the March 01, 2019 edition of Down To Earth.
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