Pharma companies need aggressive R&D and patent filing: Experts

 11 JUN, 2012, 04.00AM IST, PTIMUMBAI: Indian pharmaceutical companies need to go for aggressive research and patent filing like China and Japan and unless spending on R&D is scaled up, it would be difficult to create new molecules, industry experts said."Our Indian companies are just beginning to realise that they also need an R&D Department, as merely quality control would not help. Unless spending on R&D is scaled up, it will be difficult to create new molecules. It is time to go for aggressive research and patent filing just like China and Japan," Deputy Controller of Patents & Designs, Intellectual Property Office K S Kardam said at a workshop on 'Patenting Pharmaceuticals in India'."The next stage of development for the Indian pharmaceutical sector will definitely lie in the aspect of value creation, for which, Intellectual Property becomes indispensable. Over the next few years, it is expected that the patent laws will provide impetus to the launch of patent-protected products," Corporate Law Group, and member of Advisory Council of India of Drug Information Association (DIA), Managing Partner Krishna Sarma said."Such products have the potential to capture up to 10 per cent share of the market by 2015, implying the market size of $2 billion," Sarma added.According to Raghavendra Lal Saha, Former Advisor & Head Science & Society Division, National Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), "Protection of patents is not an end in itself but a means of encouraging creativity, industrialisation and investment. If used judiciously, it has business advantage and implications. There is no doubt the patent system has a big role to play in the growth of the pharmaceutical industry."DIA is a global, professional, member-driven association of nearly 18,000 professionals involved in the discovery, development and life cycle management of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and related healthcare products.The workshop familiarised the participants with the basic theory and practice of IP regimes in an organisation and responsibilities of industries involved in intellectual property trade.Through this workshop, DIA brought to the forefront various dimensions of licensing associated with IP protection, acknowledging that with the rise in the demand for knowledge in recent times, the focus had shifted on stimulating innovations and improving technological advancements.Gabriel Kleiman, Assistant General Counsel, Pfizer Inc, USA said, "A patent system is supposed to be about creating more incentives for innovation but it is equally important that innovation reaches to the society."As a part of the deliberations, DIA also put forth the key aspects about claim writing along with practices in different jurisdictions from EU, US and Indian perspective. The participants were also given training on how to find right partners, know-how on licensing and the scope of India as an investment destination.