Medical Patents and Impact on Availability and Affordability of Essential Medicines in India

Author(s):  
Kishore Dulam

This paper discusses the Pharmaceutical patents in India and its effects. The definition of patents and its aspects, registration patent bodies, and the time period aspects are studied. The need of patents in the pharmaceutical industry is discussed in detail with cases. Regulatory bodies and their relevance as the majority of revenue for Indian pharmaceutical companies are studied. The intent of the government is to control the prices of a few drugs and to make basic drugs affordable to the common public.

2021 ◽  
pp. 27-35
Author(s):  
E. A. Bykova

The article discusses important features of trends in the transformation of the wholesale and retail level of the Russian medicinal market in the context of innovative factors in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Russia. The paper gives a general assessment of the impact of state regulation of the maximum selling prices for medicines from the list of vital and essential medicines on the profitability of the market. The author presents a simplified institutional scheme of interaction between distributors and other market participants. The study discusses important aspects and tactical steps of the distribution and pharmacy level of the Russian pharmaceutical market. The article gives the ratings of the leading distribution pharmaceutical companies in Russia and analyses the peculiarities of their structural changes under the influence of innovative development factors. The paper gives ratings of leading pharmacy chains and analyses the features of new structural formations – associations. The author proposes the term of “polarization” for wholesale and retail companies.


Author(s):  
William M. Lewis

English is a subtle language with many words that offer fine shades of meaning, but it also can be blunt and unequivocal. Dictionaries were not made for words such as hairdo, ballpark, or pigpen. The law, however, as practiced by Americans, can mutate the meaning of even the humblest word. If the law concerns itself with pigpens, then we must know whether a pigpen still exists when the pigs are removed and, if so, for how long. We must know if a pen originally built for cattle can become a pigpen if occupied by pigs and if pigpens are the same in all parts of the nation. In short, we must have federal guidance, regional interpretations, legal specialists, and technical authorities on pigpens. So it is with wetlands. The chapters of this book will show how troublesome the definition of wetlands has become since the federal government began regulating them. In the meantime, it will suffice to define wetlands informally as those portions of a landscape that are not permanently inundated under deep water, but are still too wet most years to be used for the cultivation of upland crops such as corn or soybeans. Wetlands, in other words, coincide pretty well with the common conception of swamps, marshes, and bogs. Government has had its hand in wetlands for about 150 years. Between the 1850s and 1970s, the federal government was intent on eliminating wetlands. Since then, it has been equally intent on preserving them. An individual who behaved in this manner would seem at least irresponsible. Many critics of federal wetland policy have in fact given the government a sound thrashing for its inconsistency, but the shift from elimination to protection of wetlands has continued nevertheless. Blaming government is the duty of a free people, and also good sport. Even so, the obvious truth about wetland regulation is that government has merely reflected a change in public attitude toward wetlands. Most Americans now believe that wetlands should be saved throughout the nation, except possibly on their own property. Americans did not always feel this way. Most European colonists of North America came from homelands that were essentially tame.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 182-183
Author(s):  
Kaori Kido ◽  
Naoki Matsumaru ◽  
Katsura Tsukamoto

INTRODUCTION:Japan plans to introduce Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in 2018 after a two-year trial period. Japan currently requires HTA for certain innovative products which may have a large budget impact. Through this trial implementation, the government can examine the criteria of applicable products, the necessary infrastructure to conduct and evaluate HTA, the quality of data content, and localization to meet the current Japanese reimbursement and pricing scheme. However, the pharmaceutical industry in Japan is still puzzled by this introduction. The aim of this study is to visualize the issues and implementation challenges of HTA in Japan through a survey of the pharmaceutical industry.METHODS:A semi-structured nineteen-item questionnaire was designed and the survey was conducted through face-to face or phone interviews. Answers were summarized after the interview and confirmed with the respondents via e-mail. The survey focused on pharmaceutical companies which develop new innovative products.RESULTS:The differences between Japanese and non-Japanese pharmaceutical companies were observed in terms of HTA staff expertise and experience, the source of HTA data, and relationships with external vendors. Many respondents stated that a sufficient number of HTA professionals in Japan is critical to implement HTA, and raised a concern that the same public experts who are involved in HTA preparation may also review HTA submissions. Although companies are generally pessimistic about HTA for pharmaceutical pricing, they also have some positive views that HTA may be used as an indicator to enable stakeholders to understand product value. Many are unsure about the link between HTA and pharmaceutical prices.CONCLUSIONS:If HTA is implemented for an extended number of products, a shortage of experts may cause delays of HTA review and appraisal processes. Consequently, product launch and patient access will be delayed. Practical timing of HTA review and appraisal after product launch could affect the results of re-pricing.


Author(s):  
Richard Danakari

Introduction. The article examines the nature and essence of patriotism and friendship of peoples, their crucial role for the life of the Russian Federation. Over the past decades, radical changes have taken place in the political system of Russia, its social and ethnic structure, and a heterogeneous ethno-confessional society has been formed. The author shows that patriotism and friendship of peoples are the most important determinants, specific properties necessary for the integration of our multinational federation ensuring order and stability in the country, its sustainable and dynamic development, the gradual formation of new supra-ethnic and supra-confessional values, and general cultural identity. Methods. The combination of applying methods and approaches is the key to studying the theory and practice of patriotism, recognizing its procedural nature, unity and opposition in the activities of the state and society, the interests of the government, political parties and social groups. The use of the polyparadigmatic methodology in studying the nature and essence of patriotism, in particular, the activity and civilizational approaches, the synergetic method, dialectic categories made it possible to determine the complexity and continuity of the formation of patriotism and patriotic work, to reveal dynamism and conflict, general and special features in them. Analysis. Studying the real state of Russian society points to the weakness of systemic activities of patriotic education, preserving and strengthening the unity and friendship between nations. The lack of a common goal problematizes the search for a common patriotic idea, new foundations for Russian civilization, the common existence of nations, the construction of a welfare state and a harmonious society. Results. The article reveals inadequacy of the declared ideas of patriotism and friendship of peoples to the policy and practice of implementing neoliberal values and the priority of individualism. The author shows that the process of further fragmentation and stratification, alienation and separation of people according to racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, confessional, generational, professional and other characteristics continues in society. The transition of already atomized individuals from the ethnic mentality and national behavioral stereotypes to a single patriotic goal – the all-Russian identity – is formal. Today, the activity on the formation of patriotism and patriotic attitudes of consciousness does not affect the deep, essential foundations of society, is of a festival and manipulative nature, and in many respects concerns only the military sphere, tourism and sports. The notes mentioned create significant difficulties in understanding the idea of the common welfare, genuine and false in patriotism, the definition of objective interests of the state, authority and society, social groups and individual elites. Modern globalization inevitably involves taking into account the national interests of Russia, the search for optimal forms of interconnection of civilizational and universal principles.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-83
Author(s):  
Venkat Rao Pulla ◽  
Bharath Bhushan Mamidi

We share two observations based on what we have seen in India. First, that the hegemonic politics in India ushered in institutional and structural inequalities in their wake and second, that the political leadership continued to be aspirational irrespective of ideologies desiring to scale up in the hierarchy of global economic and political power. These two observations pertain to the contemporary history of five decades of development in India. As a result of the above two observations, we make a further two observations that for the Aām Aādmi (the common man), the political parties that sit in the government and their respective ideologies do not matter. And for the state and the political elites, the negative consequences such as marginalisation, exclusion and desperation of the common folks that emanate from the models chosen for development do not matter.   It is in such contexts, social activists argue for a legitimate space for the vying intersects of poverty, caste, class, occupations, habitats amidst such motivated globalisation. They also continue to raise difficult conversations around patriarchy, religious hierarchy, bonded labour, and the girl child.  One such social activist that was concerned about all the above issues was Swami Agnivesh.  He was not antigovernment, anti-democracy, anti-institutional, anti-hierarchy, anti-religious. He sought to restore a new and deeper meaning of freedom (democracy), a new meaning of hierarchy, social care, and even a new definition of spirituality that is social. He was a man who never stopped dreaming of humanising India. In this article, we reminisce about our association with Swami Agnivesh and attempt to espouse his thought based on our hearing, reading, and reflection.    Briefly, we present his life, achievements, and social activism, and more importantly, we attempt to interpret his conception of social spirituality and the ‘power of love’.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (10) ◽  
pp. 63-86
Author(s):  
Olena SALIKHOVA ◽  
◽  
Daria HONCHARENKO ◽  

The evolution of the development of the German chemical and pharmaceutical industry from technology borrowing to endogenous innovations and becoming a global leader is shown. It is substantiated that the government of the country promoted the development of a new industry by increasing budget allocations for the training of scientific and industrial personnel; research subsidies; subsidies for transportation and raw materials. It is shown that the formation of large companies has provided economies of scale and accelerated development. The creation of specialized research institutes under the auspices of the government initiated public-private partnerships in research funding, industry associations helped mobilize the public to support the industry, and competent company managers and industry representatives together with prominent statesmen provided concerted action to strengthen its innovation potential. Cultivating the national consciousness that the purchase of German goods is the key to the welfare of the state has determined consumer preferences and has become a powerful stimulus to expand supplies to the domestic market. The introduction of high customs tariffs on finished medicines has provided protection for the new industry in its infancy. The close cooperation of banks with pharmaceutical companies has contributed to the implementation of investment and innovation projects and external expansion. The creation of cartels by chemical and pharmaceutical companies was an institutional response to the unprecedented phenomenon of industrialization and catching up in Germany. It is revealed that at the present stage the Government of Germany through national and regional programs continues to promote the development of technological and innovative potential of pharmaceuticals. The expediency of introduction of mechanisms of endogenization of production development of medicines and medical devices in Ukraine, and also expansion of sales in the domestic market through introduction of preferences at public purchases in the context of protection of essential interests of safety and health of the nation is proved.


Author(s):  
M. А. Sdvizhkov

The article examines the background of legislative consolidation and the main problems of the introduction by pharmaceutical companies of a new legal institution for the prevention of violations of antimonopoly legislation — antimonopoly compliance, introduced by Federal Law No. 33-FL of March 1, 2020.The definition of the concept and a brief description of the current state and trends in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in connection with the relations of competition are given.The necessity of introducing antimonopoly compliance by pharmaceutical companies as a relatively independent part of pharmaceutical compliance as the most general (universal) tool for self-prevention of any offenses by the company itself and all its employees in connection with official activities is substantiated.The main antimonopoly risks associated with the implementation of pharmaceutical companies’ economic activities are named. Typical examples of violations of antimonopoly legislation by pharmaceutical companies are considered.The results of a sample survey of pharmaceutical industry representatives conducted by the author on their attitude to the introduction of antimonopoly compliance are presented.Proposals have been formulated to amend the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation in order to create additional incentives for the implementation of antimonopoly compliance.


Author(s):  
Nicole Persall

There has been widespread controversy regarding the pharmaceutical industry’s motive to promote and sell new drugs pertaining to sexual health. In this paper I will bring up a number of different authors who feel that the definition of ‘sexual health’ has been purposely redefined in order to create a market for a drug whose need is questionable. This paper investigates and raises questions about the veracity of diseases heavily promoted and marketed by the pharmaceutical industry, such as female sexual dysfunction disorder. Is it truly the female equivalent to male erectile dysfunction? Or is it the avaricious creation of pharmaceutical companies in a sly endeavor to increase sales of products like Viagra? Next, I look at the enormous impact pharmaceutical companies have had on shaping our everyday definitions of what is ‘normal’ in terms of sexual functioning. Also, the effects of standardizing diagnosis are considered, and finally, I investigate the costs of reducing sexual dysfunction to a physiological cause and how pharmaceutical industries strive to create a universalized, function-focused sexuality in which physiology dictates sexual conduct.


2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 620-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuval Feldman ◽  
Rebecca Gauthier ◽  
Troy Schuler

To sell a new drug, pharmaceutical companies must discover a compound, run clinical trials to test its efficacy and safety, get it approved by regulatory bodies, produce the drug, and market it. As this process brings the drug through so many hands, there are risks of many kinds of corruption. The pharmaceutical industry has recently gone from being one of the most admired industries to being described by the majority of Americans as “dishonest, unethical, and more concerned with profits than with individual and public health.” Legal scholar Marc Rodwin suggested that the pharmaceutical industry can be viewed through the lens of institutional corruption as defined by legal scholar Lawrence Lessig, whereby widespread or systemic practices undermine the main purposes of drug therapy — healing illness, preventing medical problems, and alleviating suffering. Many drugs do serve these goals, yet a significant number of drugs churned out by pharmaceutical companies are ineffective or have dangerous side effects that could have been predicted had the companies conducted the appropriate research.


1969 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramkumar Balachandra Nair ◽  
Pratap Chandran Ramachandranna

The Government of India permitted patenting of microorganisms in India under the Patents (Second Amendment) Bill, 2002, which was passed by the Parliament on 14 May 2002. The Government has so far granted very few patents for microorganisms, mainly on directives from courts. With the law permitting patenting of microorganisms, several private sector pharmaceutical companies and research institutions have filed applications for patenting microorganisms including fungi, bacteria and viruses. But there is still much debate on the advisability of allowing patenting of microorganisms in India. While the existing provisions in the patents bill permit patenting of certain life forms in line with the Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights Agreement, there is still sufficient controversy regarding the term ‘microorganism’, which has not been clearly defined. This article discusses the evolution of the patenting systems in relation to microorganisms. The article also explores the feasibility of offering statutory protection to microorganisms that are genetically altered with significant human intervention on harmonized global patent systems and also elaborating on the need for a well-accepted definition of the term ‘microorganism’.


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