- India’s patent laws (amended in 2002 and 2005) include provisions for compulsory licenses.
- Impact:
- These provisions provide a remedy to the high price issue of branded drugs.
- They allow generic manufacturers to produce affordable versions of drugs.
- This increases the availability of essential medicines in the market.
- It helps maintain an affordable and accessible supply of generic medicines.
- This is crucial for public health in India.
- The decision to prevent “evergreening of patents” also supports this.