Sale of generic versions of cancer drugs halted to prevent patent infringement

The Delhi High Court recently issued an order prohibiting six domestic companies, Natco Pharma, Hetero, BDR Pharma, Shilpa Medicare, Alkem, and Laurus Labs, from marketing generic versions.

The order was issued based on an infringement of the drug's patent. Pharmacyclics, a subsidiary of US firm AbbVie, owns the Ibrutinib patent, and Johnson & Johnson, an Indian affiliate, markets the drug nationwide.

The Ibrutinib patent is valid until 2026 and commercially available under the registered trademark Imbruvica. Thus the sale of generic forms of Ibrutinib, a cancer medicine used to treat leukaemia, has been halted nationwide, denying patients access to affordable treatment. Read more in this article.