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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Protests in US over high pricing of Novartis' anti-cancer drug Glivec-Divya Rajagopal

Protests in US over high pricing of Novartis' anti-cancer drug Glivec-Divya Rajagopal

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published Published on May 15, 2012   modified Modified on May 15, 2012

Health activists and cancer patients in the US have pounced on Swiss drug multinational Novartis for the high price of its famous, multi-billion dollar anti-cancer drug Glivec, a development which challenges pharma MNCs' claims of cheap access and affordability for patented drugs.

Such protests, which began first in Europe, and have now spread to the US, could make it more difficult for pharma MNCs in developing countries to convince sceptical governments and public to provide protection in the form of patents, analysts and health activists say.

In a recent petition to the US Congress and the USFDA, over 300 petitioners have demanded that the Obama administration force Novartis to cut the price of Glivec, which they say is too high and has risen six times since its launch in 2001. The current price of 30mg Glivec tablets for a month's dosage is $7,367, or roughly 3 lakh, in the US.

Novartis' patent for the drug means that no generic exports can take place till 2015. "Novartis must have paid their research costs long back, but the price just keeps rising. Patients with CML leukemia are dependent on the drug to keep themselves alive," says the petition against Novartis. "Our US representatives should work with FDA to put pressure on Novartis to reduce the cost of Glivec," it added.
The reason why this is important in India lies in a couple of ongoing cases in the country's courts. Rebuffed by the Madras High Court and the Intellectual Property Appellate Board, Novartis has appealed to the apex court to grant a patent for a new, improved version of Glivec.

Bayer is also appealing a recent decision of the Indian government to grant a compulsory license to sell the generic version of lung cancer drug Nexavar to Natco Pharma. While the Glivec case is not really based on the prices, the Bayer judgment is based on affordability and access issues.

Novartis did not respond to an email query sent by ET. But in past media interactions and public statements, Novartis and other pharma companies have been saying that lack of affordability and access are not the real issues.

Whenever a patient needs a drug, it will be available, they have said. "This is about safeguarding incentives for better medicines so that patients' needs would be met in future," Ranjit Shahani, MD, Novartis India, had said in a previous email interaction with ET.

If the Obama administration, supports this petition, it could make it very difficult for governments in India and other developing countries around the world to ignore the voices clamouring for sparse protection to patented drugs and public promotion of cheap, generic drugs.

"This petition shows what patients are going through across the world, and this is in spite of insurance and patient assistance programmes of pharma companies. It seems the argument that Novartis makes that this drug is easily accessible for those who need it is questionable.

This is precisely the concern with the access programes that Big Pharma talks about - they come with strings attached, especially on drugs that they have monopolies on," says Kajal Bhardwaj, a New Delhi-based independent lawyer working on health and human rights.

The Economic Times, 15 May, 2012, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/protests-in-us-over-high-pricing-of-novartis-anti-cancer-drug-glivec/articleshow/13141449.cms


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