Manila Bulletin – May 11, 2007

Cause-oriented groups recently hailed a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals (USCA) for the Federal Circuit invalidating the patent of international pharmaceutical firm Pfizer on the drug amlodipine besylate, saying the ruling significantly boosts the local crusade for more affordable medicines.

The groups Ayos na Gamot sa Abot Kayang Presyo (AGAP) coalition and the Cut-the-Cost Cut-the-Pain Network (3CPNet) said the US court ruling "offers renewed hope to millions of Filipinos suffering from hypertension but who cannot afford the cost of the Pfizer treatment."

The groups led the local crusade against Pfizer products alleging that they cost much higher than their price tags in other Asian countries.

The groups also earlier hit Pfizer's alleged efforts to block the government bid to provide the local hypertensive sector with affordable treatment through legislative remedies.

The groups also decried "the undue advantage hat Pfizer got from a patent that was invalid in the first place."

Amlodipine besylate is distributed in the country under the brand Norvasc. The drug company came under fire following disclosures that it is sold at less than half the Philippine price in other Asian countries including India, and after Pfizer blocked a government bid for paralIel importation.

Pfizer sued the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PlTC) to prevent the importation of Norvasc and other similarly-priced products from India and their subsequent distribution in PITC outlets in the country at lower prices. Pfizer alleged that the government's move violated its claimed patent on the amlodipine besylate Norvasc which the US Court invalidated.

The US appellate court declared the Pfizer latent invalid and unenforceable because the drug firm already had a previous patent in 1982 for amlodipine combined with the maleate salt. The US court said combining amlodipine with the besylate salt was not unexpected and therefore rendered the combination of amlodipine and besylate "obvious."