Around 9000 applications for patents are pending in the mailbox and Indian companies are leading the list with about 450 applications when taken on a country wise break up, noted Dr. Anindya Sircar, head, IPR of Biocon.

Among these, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., leads the list with 205 applications, followed by Panacea Biotech with 75, Dabur with 65, Sun Pharma’s 46, Cipla with 45 and Ranbaxy’s 38. This is a significant achievement for the Indian companies when compared to the leading applicants from the multinational sector like Pfizer with 373 applications, Johnson & Johnson with 262 applications and Procter and Gamble with 187 applications. The Indian companies have filed about 600 ANDAs and 167 DMFs with the US FDA, noted Dr. Anindya Sircar while speaking at a recent WIPO national seminar on ‘Enhancing global competitiveness of Indian life science industry through the strategic use of the patent system’.

According to D. Dua, president, biotechnology strategic business unit, Wockhardt Limited., Mumbai, the global pharma industry is valued at USD 500 billion and is growing at a rate of 9.1% per annum. Biopharmaceuticals have a market of USD 40 billion and is growing at a rate of 10 per cent per annum. US, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Italy etc. are some of the strategic markets the Indian companies should aim for growth.

Drugs worth USD 80 billion are coming off patent and even if calculated with a price erosion of 90 per cent, the Indian companies have an opportunity to tap a USD 8-10 billion market. About 44 large drugs with a sales value of USD 43.1 billion are going off patent and out of which 12 are blockbusters with an average sale exceeding one billion dollar. This will lead to an addition of USD 2.5 - 3.5 billion to the generic industry during the 2003-07 period. In this scenario, generic companies with a wide basket of products offered at cheap rates would be able to survive, noted D. Dua.