Merck secures 2 patents in India, to pursue more

KOLKATA: US-based Merck has received patent approval from the Indian Patent Office for two of its upcoming drugs for dyslipidemia and obesity. The two new patented drugs are in final stages of trial and are yet to receive the Drug Controller General of India���s (DCGI) approval.

Merck, till recently, had just one patent approval in India for its $770-million anti-diabetes drug Januvia. However, the $24.2-billion company now plans to aggressively file patents and have a localised pricing strategy for such drugs in the Indian market.

The strategy is critical to its gameplan to corner at least a 4% market share in India and thereby emerge as one the top five players in the country by 2015.

���We have received patent approval for two more drugs in India which are in advanced Phase III trials. We soon expect to launch them here. However, we will have a competitive and right pricing for all our patented drugs based on comprehensive research,��� MSD Pharmaceuticals director (marketing) Sanjiv Navangul told ET. MSD Pharma is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck & Co in India.

The company���s right-pricing strategy will entail a review of existing therapeutic alternatives for the patented drug and even taking the view of doctors and patients. ���We have done similar research for Januvia which has been recently launched. We had consulted 200 doctors and patient groups to come to a right price for the drug in India,��� said Mr Navangul.

In India, while the cost of treatment with Januvia is around Rs 42.80 per day, the same treatment regimen costs about $5 (Rs 200) in the US. Medicos suggested treatment cost with Januvia���s therapeutic equivalent (such as sulphonylurea) will cost not more than Rs 15-20 per day. ���However, Januvia is much better than existing drugs and has significant lower risk of side effects,��� said a senior diabetes specialist Subhankar Chowdhury.

Analysts feel Merck���s approach towards launching patented drugs at a much lower cost in India than their global price may mark a differential pricing system for such drugs in India. ���Its a much hyped and false concern that patented drugs are necessarily costly than generics. Our pricing will be such that it will provide value to the patients,��� said Mr Navangul.

Apart from the dyslipidimia and obesity drugs, Merck has plans to roll out two vaccines in India���a cervical cancer vaccine and rotavirus vaccine. It���s current product portfolio has five drugs in India. The company is also planning to initiate disease management programmes in India to increase awareness and better drug compliance among patients.