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“No way will drug companies move out of India because of Supreme Court ruling against Novartis. They need our (Indian) market and (they) will find ways to sell drug cheaper,” tweeted internationally-reputed filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor, reacting to the Supreme Court ruling against the Swiss pharma giant Novartis.
Filmmakers, research analysts, students and writers were vociferous in their opinion on social media platforms Twitter and Facebook, after the apex court dismissed Novartis plea on its blood cancer drug Glivec.
While the implications of the judgment may only be felt over a period of time, there is a general jubilation among the public who believe that the ruling will enable millions to afford generic medicines.
Some though, have sounded a word of caution, terming it as defeat for intellectual property rights that could affect even local research.
Author Jerry Pinto said on Facebook, in case, you hadn't made up your mind about the Supreme Court verdict on Novartis, here’s just one fact. With the patent: cost of medicine - Rs 1,20,000 and without - Rs 12,000.
Global markets
Voices from Africa have also supported the judgment.
A tweet from Homepage Africa said: Indian court’s decision on Novartis safeguards affordable access to medicine.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is often hailed as being the “pharmacy to the world” and it does, in fact, supply low-cost medicines to not just Africa, but other global markets as well.
Research analysts, though, have expressed their concerns about the long-term implications of the judgment.
Abhishek Rao, a research assistant at IISC (Indian Institute of Science) Bangalore, said on Facebook: If Novartis doesn’t get exclusive right to manufacture the drug for the period of a patent and decide the selling price, how is the company supposed to recover the billions of dollars and decades of research it invested in getting to the right formulation? Such a verdict will kill research. What is not being mentioned in these news reports is that Novartis is involved in a lot of charitable work dispensing free medication to the poor. ”
A resident of Mumbai, Vipul Bondal said: There are very strong arguments on both sides. The arguments cover several aspects such as economics of doing original R&D for unmet medical needs, doing business profitably and ethically, adhering to policy and also securing patient rights. I don't think this is the last word on this debate just yet.
Reacting to the news, Bangladeshi author Farah Ghuznavi wrote on Facebook: I understand the concerns about R&D, but to my mind they don’t justify the outrageous prices that the companies would like to charge.
A tweet from Vikas Khichar (Mumbai): Awarding the innovations is a great thing, but no award should override the right to life of the people.
> nivedita.ganguly@thehindu.co.in
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