Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;font &gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...&#039;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


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                <strong>Foreign bias finger at PMO on cheap drugs</strong></h1>
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                <p align="justify"><font ></font></p><p align="justify"><br /><font >Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&rdquo; the NGOs wrote.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs &mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&rdquo; by multinational drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.</font></p><p align="justify"><font ></font></p>               </font>
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;font &gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;
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	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 8 September, 2010, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100908/jsp/nation/story_12910623.jsp&#039;,
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...&#039;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


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                <strong>Foreign bias finger at PMO on cheap drugs</strong></h1>
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                <p align="justify"><font ></font></p><p align="justify"><br /><font >Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&rdquo; the NGOs wrote.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs &mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&rdquo; by multinational drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.</font></p><p align="justify"><font ></font></p>               </font>
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;font &gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;&lt;font &gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &amp;ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs wrote.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs &amp;mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&amp;rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &amp;mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &amp;ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&amp;rdquo; by multinational drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&amp;rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&amp;rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;font face=&quot;arial,helvetica,sans-serif&quot; size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&amp;rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&amp;rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...&#039;
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


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                <strong>Foreign bias finger at PMO on cheap drugs</strong></h1>
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                <p align="justify"><font ></font></p><p align="justify"><br /><font >Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&rdquo; the NGOs wrote.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs &mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&rdquo; by multinational drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.</font></p><p align="justify"><font ></font></p>               </font>
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<br />
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&rdquo; the NGOs wrote.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The NGOs &mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&rdquo; by multinational drug companies.</font>
</p>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">&ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.</font>
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<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">&ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.</font>
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


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<br />
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&rdquo; the NGOs wrote.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The NGOs &mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&rdquo; by multinational drug companies.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">&ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3">&ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.</font>
</p>
<p align="justify">
<font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif" size="3"></font>
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Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.


In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,...'
$disp = '<p align="justify"><font ></font></p><p align="justify"><br /><font >Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. &ldquo;We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,&rdquo; the NGOs wrote.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs &mdash; the All India Drug Action Network, the People&rsquo;s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others &mdash; have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to &ldquo;non-transparent lobbying&rdquo; by multinational drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India&rsquo;s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,&rdquo; the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies.</font></p><p align="justify"><font >&ldquo;This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,&rdquo; said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.</font></p><p align="justify"><font ></font></p>'
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Foreign bias finger at PMO on cheap drugs

Multinational drug companies appear to have used the Prime Minister’s Office to try and influence government policies that may severely undermine availability of affordable medicines, a group of non-government organisations has said. In a joint letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 50 NGOs said the PMO had asked the ministry of health and the departments of legal affairs and industrial policy to examine intellectual property rights issues raised by foreign pharmaceutical companies. They said the PMO had in July circulated to these departments two notes on data protection and amendment to patent laws submitted by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an association of foreign companies. One of the notes seeks data exclusivity, a provision under drug laws that could effectively block generic versions of medicines from entering the market by creating a monopoly over clinical trials data, the NGOs have said. This demand for data exclusivity is contrary to the Indian Constitution and Indian laws, they said. “We regret that the PMO circulated this biased note without prior investigation into the legitimacy of the claims or the fact that several demands made by the OPPI, US and European pharmaceutical companies are either sub judice or have been rejected by Indian courts,” the NGOs wrote. The NGOs — the All India Drug Action Network, the People’s Health Movement, the Naz Foundation, among others — have expressed concern at what they describe is increasing government susceptibility to “non-transparent lobbying” by multinational drug companies. Documents released by the NGOs suggest that the heads of five multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Ranjit Shahani, managing director, Novartis, and president of the OPPI, met PMO officials on May 24 this year. In the discussions, according to the documents, it was agreed the OPPI would prepare a paper on enforcement of intellectual property rights, data protection and capacity building of the judiciary, highlighting the steps required and submit it to the PMO. In July, the PMO sent two notes submitted by the OPPI to the ministry of health and the departments of industrial policy and legal affairs to examine these issues and give their comments to the pharmaceuticals department. A final paper to be co-ordinated by the pharmaceuticals department is expected to be put up to the PMO. The PMO officials who attended the meeting were not available for comment. The NGOs have said the OPPI demands could weaken provisions in India’s patent laws that prohibit patents on minor tweaking of existing drug molecules, prevent the emergence of generic medicines, and undermine access to affordable medicines. “We are also extremely concerned that there are indications that the OPPI is also attempting to influence the training of judges,” the NGOs have said. Indian courts have in the past upheld sections of Indian patent law challenged by foreign drug companies. “This is an issue that concerns patients in India and other developing countries,” said Leena Menghaney, a lawyer who works with the Medicins Sans Frontiers.