Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, on Friday argued against US drug giant Pfizer's application to patent its pneumonia vaccine at the Indian patent office. Pfizer's vaccine, sold under the brand Prevnar13, should not be patented in the country because it lacks the originality needed for one, argued the aid agency.
MSF filed declarations at the Delhi patent office to point out that Pfizer's 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was obvious and predictable.
While PCV13 was a technical advancement for the US pharmaceutical company, the technology used to create the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) is already in the public domain, argued Leena Menghaney, head of MSF's Access campaign in South Asia.
xThe fact is that the advancement was predictable and obvious and doesn't deserve a patent," Menghaney told ET.
The patent office will continue to hear MSF's arguments, including its response to submissions made by Pfizer's lawyers, on August 5.
MSF filed declarations at the Delhi patent office to point out that Pfizer's 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was obvious and predictable.
While PCV13 was a technical advancement for the US pharmaceutical company, the technology used to create the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) is already in the public domain, argued Leena Menghaney, head of MSF's Access campaign in South Asia.
xThe fact is that the advancement was predictable and obvious and doesn't deserve a patent," Menghaney told ET.
The patent office will continue to hear MSF's arguments, including its response to submissions made by Pfizer's lawyers, on August 5.
MSF's patent opposition, filed in March this year, is the first pre-grant opposition that the aid agency has initiated against any company. An equivalent patent to the one opposed in India was revoked by the European patent office in 2014 and is currently under appeal process, according to the agency.