India Moves to Boost Awareness of IP Issues

An Indian academic body, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), has called on the government to provide resources for a national centre to monitor intellectual property issues relating to the domestic drug industry. The plans, which are awaiting government approval, are further evidence that recognition of the commercial possibilities of enforceable patents in India continues to grow.

NIPER already offers basic level courses in intellectual property, although the government will now be keen to ensure that any new monitoring centre reflects official priorities for the drug industry, as key domestic and international players move into Indian R&D amid a tightening patent regime.

Assuming the plans are approved, the new centre's services are likely to include advice on patentable drug discoveries, as well as the filing of patents on behalf of drug companies and strategies for maximising the benefits of in- and out-licensing.

Nevertheless, the planned intellectual property centre's activities are not without irony, as the development of India's domestic drug industry has traditionally owed much to lax and biased patent laws.