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Pharmaceuticals

Sovaldi Loses Patent Protection In India

by Jean-François Tremblay
January 19, 2015 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 93, Issue 3

India’s patent office has ruled that Gilead Sciences’ hepatitis C drug Sovaldi is not sufficiently innovative to warrant patent protection in India. According to the agency, the drug’s active ingredient, sofosbuvir, is simply a previously known molecule in which the orientation of the fluoro group has been modified to reduce toxicity. Last September, Gilead agreed to license rights to Sovaldi to several Indian generic drug firms for modest royalties, provided they sell it only in developing countries. India’s Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge says it expects the ruling to open the playing field and lead to even lower prices for sofosbuvir.

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