"Novartis and the Battle to Access Essential Drugs"

This feature examines why India's patenting regime, despite being pro-public in terms of promoting easier access to drugs, has faced considerable criticism, particularly post the Supreme Court decision in the Novartis case. The feature examines why India has put in place laws such as Section 3(d) of the Patents Act and explains how and why such provisions are essential to promote easier and cheaper access to essential drugs. The feature also addresses the numerous (often false) claims by pharma MNCs regarding pricing, innovation and research and development costs.