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by saint_fiasco
3957 days ago
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>The Indian pharmaceutical industry is vibrant and thriving, that is why it has the capacity to reproduce generic versions of patented drugs at will. I thought any lab could do that. Isn't the research part the most difficult and expensive part? >if a pharma company takes an old drug and a new chemical to it to change its effects slightly, the patent is renewed, and that way it it never actually becomes 'old' enough I've heard about this happening with 'me-too' drugs and bullshit antidepressants. Does it happen as well with essential life saving medicine? |
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"The Pharmaceutical industry in India is the world's third-largest in terms of volume and stands 14th in terms of value."
"Indian companies carved a niche in both the Indian and world markets with their expertise in reverse-engineering new processes for manufacturing drugs at low costs."[2]
There is skill involved in reverse-engineering new processes for manufacturing drugs.
Does it happen with essential life saving medicine?
Yes.
"...Glivec, a medicine for chronic myeloid leukemia"[1]
"The Supreme Court defended India’s right to deny patents to incremental improvements. It ruled that Glivec was merely a new form of an older drug and did not constitute a patentable invention. “This is a huge relief,” said Unni Karunakara, the president of Médecins Sans Frontières, which cares for patients in poor countries. Novartis is less pleased, declaring that the ruling “discourages future innovation in India."
Did you previously think pharmaceutical companies care about people's lives more than profit? I'm sorry to disappoint.
[1] http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?client=safari&r...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_industry_in_Ind...