The Union Government at last issued an ordinance on Sunday bringing patent laws into compliance with commitments under the WTO agreement.

Although details of the ordinance are not available, it sets in motion the whole process of patent law reform in the country despite stiff opposition from the political parties as they feared an all-round increase in drug prices.

The UPA government has been under pressure from its communist allies and NGOs who wanted adequate safeguards in the amended patent laws to ensure that prices of medicines remained stable.

The Centre was to introduce legislation bringing changes in patent laws in the just-concluded winter session of the Parliament but could not do so due to differences with its communist allies.

India has not been granting product patent to any products as per the provisions of the Indian Patent Act. The change in patent laws is aimed at spurring innovative drug companies to switch away from making copycat generic drugs.