Compulsory licensing to alleviate shortage may be counterproductive: FICCI
By IANS |
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Thu, May 13 2021 19:12 IST |
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FICCI.. Image Source: IANS News
New Delhi, May 13 : The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has said that the provision of compulsory licensing must be used cautiously and with utmost discretion.
If not used judiciously, it may discourage innovator companies, which have invested heavily in R&D, and turn out to be counterproductive to the present situation, it added. Further, FICCI strongly believes that in the larger and long-term interest of the country and its citizens, India should not rush to do anything unilaterally that may undermine its present efforts to arrive at a multilateral solution on this issue, the industry body said in a statement.
Govt should issue compulsory licences to boost covid drugs production: IDMA
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The Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) on Wednesday urged the government to use provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to issue compulsory licences to pharma firms to make drugs such as remdesivir that are used in the treatment of covid
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The Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) on Wednesday urged the government to use provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to issue compulsory licences to pharma firms to make drugs such as remdesivir that are used in the treatment of covid.
“WTO has also provided the provision of compulsory licensing just for tackling such an eventuality. Our government should not feel shy in invoking this in the interest of humanity and our citizens, IDMA said in a position paper on patent waivers.
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New Delhi: Domestic pressure, coupled with a severe shortage, has brought India’s Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy Vaccine Maitri to a screeching halt, but neighbouring countries are now urging New Delhi to at least free up their commercial vaccine shipments in order to prevent the outbreak of second and third waves of Covid-19 there, ThePrint has learnt.
Under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, while India had gifted the Serum Institute of India (SII)-manufactured Covishield vaccines to its friends in the neighbourhood, countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also bought millions of doses from the vaccine maker directly.
Drugmakers in India are warning that a halt on some cargo flights from China could imperil an important link in the global pharmaceutical supply chain. The U.S. relies heavily on India to stock its medicine cabinets, and any slowdown in output could leave pharmacies short of drugs used regularly by millions of Americans. On April 26, China’s state-run Sichuan Airlines suspended cargo flights to India for 15 days amid an alarming second Covid-19 outbreak there. China supplies 60% to 70% of the raw materials used by India’s drugmakers, as well as ingredients for finished medicines sent to markets worldwide, according to Mahesh Doshi, national president for the Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association.