Natco Pharma plea on Nexavar patent upheld

Hyderabad, July 16, 2014 – Natco Pharma has won another round in the long-drawn-out intellectual property battle surrounding the licensing of an anti-cancer drug.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the compulsory licence granted to the Hyderabad-based company for German drug major Bayer’s patented kidney cancer drug Nexavar (Sorafenib tosylate).

According to a press release from Natco, the Nexavar issue dates back to March 9, 2012, when the then Controller General of Patents issued the first-ever compulsory licence to the company to manufacture an affordable generic version of Sorafenib tosylate.

The patent for the original drug is held by Bayer AG. In addition to Nexavar, there are two generic variants of the anti-cancer drug in the Indian market. While Natco Pharma’s drug is called Sorafenat, Cipla’s drug is called Soranib.

Affordable alternative
In March 2012, the Intellectual Property Appellate Board had granted a compulsory licence to Natco Pharma on two crucial points: availability and affordability.

Natco Pharma’s generic version of the anti-cancer drug had been priced at Rs.8,800 for a patient’s recommended monthly therapy, way below Bayer’s Nexavar, whose price worked out to approximately Rs.2.8 lakh a month.

The Natco Pharma scrip rose 4 per cent on the BSE, closing at Rs.1,061.70, after gaining Rs.40.80.