'No hike in prices of essential drugs'

CHENNAI: There would be no increase in the prices of essential drugs in view of the passing of the third amendment to the Patents Act, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said here on Saturday.

"The third amendment to the Patent Act was passed recently in both houses of Parliament and the Commerce Ministry has assured both houses and the people of the country that there won''t be any increase in the prices of essential drugs", he told reporters at Chennai airport.

\BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu had said on Friday the new patents regime was certain to frustrate the national goal of ''health for all'' since it would increase the prices of essential medicines and life-saving drugs drastically.

Responding to a question on Naidu''s comments, Anbumani said that about 95-97 per cent of the essential drugs do not come under the Patents Act.

"There is a flexible mechanism under the compulsory licensing system to keep prices under check so that the common man does not suffer", he said.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan on Friday expressed concerns over the possibility of rise in drug prices following the passage of the third amendment to the Patents Act.