The office of Controller General of Patents & Designs has issued over 50 pharmaceutical related patents during the current year. Among the latest to receive the patents are Pfizer Inc and Astrazeneca AB, whose patent applications for 3-Azabicyclo [3, 1, 0] Hexane derivatives and Midazo Pyridine derivatives respectively were cleared by the Patent Office few days ago. While Pfizer had applied for an Indian patent, it was a PCT application for Astrazeneca. An Austrian biotech company Entwicklungs AG also secured a patent for a method of preparing anti-idiotypical antibody preparation as cancer vaccine during the month.

Domestic pharma major Ranbaxy Laboratories received at least seven process patents during the current year. These include patents for a process for the preparation of a stable and robust pharmaceutical tablet composition of valacyclovir hydrochloride tablets, process for the preparation of N-(5-Methylnicotinoyl)-4-Hydrxypiperidine, improved process for the synthesis of N, N-Dimethyl-3-(4-Methyl) benzoyl propionamide, a key intermediate for the synthesis of zolpidem, novel method of preparing modified drug release multiple unit system, process for the preparation of 5-[2-ethoxy-5(4-Methylpiperazin-1-ylsulpphonyl)phenyl}-1-methyl-3-N-Propyl-1,6-dihydro-7hpyrazolo[4,3d]pyrimidin-7-one], process for the preparation of phenyloxazolidinone derivatives, process for the synthesis of novel 3,6-disubstituted azabicyclo[3,1,0] hexane derivatives useful as muscaranic receptor antagonists and a process for the preparation of a stable pharmaceutical composition comprising ace inhibitors etc.

The other patents have mostly gone to government research institutions affiliated to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). As per the current rules, post-grant oppositions can be filed against any patents within a year of granting the patent. However, pre-grant opposition is the commonly used tool to oppose the patent claims in the country. According to official sources, there are 56 pre-grant oppositions (mostly pharmaceutical) filed in Delhi Patent office alone. With over 40% of the total patent filings happening in Delhi, this opposition should cover most of the drugs of major commercial / social significance.

Delhi office had received 9700 patent applications in 2005, sources informed. The companies whose patent applications were cleared during the current year include Medichem (an improved process for the preparation of pharmaceutical grade gabapentin) BD (a device for delivering a substance into skin), Strides Acrolab (a process for the preparation of 7- Diethylamino-2H-1-Benzopyran-2-Oxo-3 (nsubstituted)-Carboxamides), Nicholas Piramal (a process for the preparation of crystalline glucosamine sulphate metal salts), Ajanta Pharma (a process for isolation and formulations of nutrient-rich carotenoids), Cadila Healthcare (a process for the manufacture of crystalline form-II of lamivudine), Aristo Pharmaceuticals (novel pharmaceutical composition of a proton pump inhibitor with a prokinetic agent), J & J Vision Products Inc (contact lens bearing marks, a method of hydrating or washing ophthalmic device and an apparatus for the same…), Jubilant Organosys Ltd (process for preparing pyridine and alkyl substituted pyridine compounds) and Dabur Research Foundation (process for preparing a herbal composition for stimulating bone marrow cell proliferation activity).