Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Trivedi has emphasized the need to take a hard look at the entire issue of intellectual property rights, innovation, development of new drugs, affordability and accessibility from an entirely new perspective in the new era of product patent regime.

Speaking at a Life Science Conclave in New Delhi yesterday, Trivedi expressed concern that "while there is a substantial unfinished agenda on the health in terms of providing adequate health care in the developing countries, new and formidable challenges have been thrown up by international trade regimes like the TRIPS."

The minister also cited the contribution of Indian pharma industry in bringing down the prices of HIV-AIDS drug cocktail from US$ 10400 to US$ 300. He praised the Indian pharma industry for "its skills to design, develop, test, manufacture generics at a fraction of global prices and even export to other poor countries".

Commenting on the current issues in the industry, he made the apprehension that the scenario may change due to new patent regime. Expressing the hope to tackle the situation to a certain extent through legislation by categorizing some drug as essential, the minister emphasized that the "impact needs to be debated and solutions are to be found."

The entire issue of intellectual property rights, innovation and development of new drugs, affordability and accessibility needs a hard look at from an entirely new perspective in the new era of product patent regime.

"While there is a substantial unfinished agenda on the health in terms of providing adequate health care in the developing countries, new and formidable challenges have been thrown up by international trade regimes like the TRIPS," he averred.

In reference to the current pandemic of H1N1 the Minister underscored the need for being alert in terms of quick and reliable diagnostics, drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) as also a vaccine. As part of this preparedness, the domestic industry needs to be strengthened for the development of affordable diagnostics, vaccine as also drug, he added.