Source: Press Information Bureau
30th April,2013
The prices of drugs for many diseases, including cancer, have become extremely unaffordable for the common man in this country, which have also increased the pressures on the public health programmes. Compulsory licenses under the Indian Patents Act, 1970 can be issued to generic producers. Generic version of the drugs leads to significant price reductions in developing countries. Although the administrative Department for the Indian Patents Act, 1970 is the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, constituted an inter-ministerial committee to recommend to put such drugs, which are extremely costly and not affordable, under Compulsory Licensing under the provisions of the Indian Patents Act, 1970. On the basis of the recommendations of this Committee made during its meeting on 20.12.2012, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare recommended three cancer drugs, namely, Trastuzumab, Ixabepilone and Dasatinib to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion to put them under Compulsory Licensing under the provisions of the Indian Patents Act, 1970.
This information was given by the Minister for Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Don't trade our lives away 
Indispensable medicines like anti cancer drugs are needed to manufacture hygienically and with affordable price which can make a healthy country.