Goyal criticizes attempts to secure pharmaceutical patents through minor innovations

New -Delhi, April 27 (PTI), Minister of Trade and Industry, Piyush Goyal, criticized the efforts of certain firms on Sunday to secure pharmaceutical patents through minor incremental innovations, with the fact that such practices can deprive millions of access to affordable medicine. Just for the ‘super-natural’ profits of a few businesses and their shareholders, the world must suffer and are deprived of quality and fair healthcare, he said. “I have received very often requests that we should also allow pharmaceutical businesses … to have incremental changes to their patents and enable them to have a fresh patent for another long period, which we normally understand that if an evergreen is of patents.” It is so sad that only for the profits of a few companies, just for the supernatural profits of a few businesses and perhaps their shareholders, the world must suffer, ‘here on an events. Act, 1970 Limited patents for already known medicines unless the new claims are better in terms of efficacy, while Article 3 (b) patents for products that are against public interest do not show a better effectiveness about existing products. changes such as adding new mixtures or formulations. This is done when their patent is about to expire. A patent on the new form would have given the innovator a 20-year-old monopoly on the drug. Goyal also said access to quality healthcare is a critical part of sustainable development and the journey of India to bring greater access to health care for everyone. First published: 27 Apr 2025, 08:54 PM IST