Case Study

Nexavar® India

2 pages
June 2012
Reference: IMD-3-2310

On 9 March 2012, a decision taken by India’s Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks revived a drawn-out debate on the use and abuse of intellectual property rights in international commerce. The ruling granted a non-exclusive and non-assignable compulsory license to Natco Pharma to manufacture and sell a generic version of Bayer’s Nexavar – a drug used to treat advanced-stage liver and kidney cancer. Hyderabad-based Natco would sell a monthly dose of the life-saving medicine for INR 8,800 ($172), i.e. at a discount of 97% on the innovator price, and would pay 6% royalties to Bayer. Although the decision was applauded by NGOs and patient advocacy groups, others hoped that the case would trigger a much needed review of relevant competition and trade policy standards, of the legitimacy of corporate versus national industrial policy objectives, as well as of the respective roles of emerged versus emerging markets and those of states versus businesses in funding research and providing healthcare. The case provides a starting point for that discussion.

Keywords
Intellectual Property Rights, Pharmaceuticals
Settings
Global, India
Bayer
2012
Type
Published Sources
Copyright
© 2012
Available Languages
English
Case clearing houses
IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Discover our latest research
IMD's faculty and research teams publish articles, case studies, books and reports on a wide range of topics