Patent Bill will hit growth in pharma sector: Ekbal

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Patent Bill will hit growth in pharma sector: Ekbal

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, FEB. 20 . The move to promulgate the Patent (Amendment)

Ordinance, 2004 without allowing a debate in Parliament would

ultimately result in a setback to India's leap into the

international pharmaceutical market, said B. Ekbal, former Vice-

Chancellor of Kerala University.

Delivering the keynote address on `Patent (Amendment) Ordinance and

the Pharma Sector' at a People's Convention convened by the Kerala

Sastra Sahitya Parishath (KSSP) district committee against the

Patent (Amendment) Ordinance, 2004, at S.R.V. School here on Sunday,

Dr. Ekbal said the Ordinance would only serve to help the global

monopolies in the pharmaceutical sector.

He said India had been marketing many medicines, including those for

AIDS, at low rates so far. India became a role model to the world by

passing the Patents Act in 1970. While American pharmaceutical

companies charge $15,000 for medicines for AIDS, Indian companies

charge only $350 for AIDS medicines. India's share in the

international pharmaceutical market stood at Rs. 10,000 crores, he

said.

Dr. Ekbal said the people should realise the implications of the

Patents (Amendment) Ordinance, as prices of medicines, including

those for diabetes, would escalate.

He condemned the UPA Government's attempt to send the Ordinance

introduced by the former NDA Government to Parliament without

holding a debate.

Sebastian , MP, who inaugurated the convention, pointed out that

the Patent Ordinance was a tool to conquer the world without the

help of arms or weapons.

Seeds Act

Referring to `Seeds Act, 2004 and Agriculture Sector,' Mr.

warned that the Seed Act, which will replace the gene pool of

traditional seeds used by our farmers with new generation seeds born

in laboratories, would lead to the total destruction of our farming

sector.

A memorandum to the Prime Minister carrying 10,000 signatures

collected by KSSP against the Seeds Act, 2004 and Patents

(Amendment) Ordinance, 2004, was handed over to Mr. by the

Parishath district president, E.K. Prakashan.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/02/21/stories/2005022108880300.htm