Patent Denied On AIDS Drug In India

from the better-to-keep-people-healthy... dept

A few months back, we noted that the PubPat Foundation was seeking to invalidate eight patents held by Abbott Labs in the US concerning the HIV/AIDS drug ritonavir (branded as Norvir). PubPat noted that there was significant prior art that should have precluded those patents from ever being granted. While we'll probably be waiting a long time to hear about that, over in India, it appears that the Patent Office has decided to come right out and reject Abbott's attempts to patent ritonavir, noting that it did not appear to involve the necessary "inventive step" to constitute an invention. Not surprisingly, Abbott is not happy about all this, and is looking at its options -- meaning not only should you expect to see a lawsuit, but just wait for lobbyists to start complaining about how India doesn't live up to its "international obligations" in protecting international patents.

Filed Under: aids, india, norvir, patents, ritonavir
Companies: abbott labs

Eight HIV/AIDS Treatment Patents Challenged

from the errors-in-the-patent-system dept

Questionable drug patents that put lives at risk are finally starting to get more scrutiny. The Public Patent Foundation (better known as PUBPAT) is now challenging the validity of eight patents held by Abbott Labs around the HIV/AIDS drug ritonavir (branded Norvir). As PUBPAT notes, there's plenty of prior art that should have prevented these patents from ever being granted. The patents in question are 5,541,206, 5,635,523, 5,648,497, 5,674,882, 6,037,157, 6,703,403, 7,148,359, and 7,364,752. PUBPAT also notes that Abbott has faced controversy over its monopoly pricing in the past, such as when it raised the price of the drug from $1.71 per day to $8.57 per day. Having a monopoly lets you do that sort of thing...

Filed Under: aids, hiv, norvir, patents, ritonavir
Companies: abbott labs