Business World – May 8, 2007

INTERNATIONAL civic group Oxfam and the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) will ask the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Phils.) to cancel the local patent of Pfizer’s antihypertension drug Norvasc to pave the way for the entry into the country of cheaper Norvasc from Pakistan.

Oxfam and PITC officials announced their plan to troop to the IP Phils. office in Makati Tuesday to file their petition to cancel Norvasc’s patent following the recent decision of the US Court of Appeals nullifying the patent granted to Pfizer for amlodipine besylate, Norvasc’s active ingredient.

The two groups will be joined by the Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNet). Teddie Elson Rivera, officer in charge of PITC, said the cancellation of Pfizer’s Philippine patent will allow PITC to import Norvasc from Pakistan that is up to 50-percent cheaper  than the Norvasc sold here.

The PITC tried once to bring in Norvasc from Pakistan in 2005 through its parallel importation program, but was haled to court by Pfizer, which said its patent prevents other parties from bringing in the drug. The US Court of Appeals upheld the petition of Apotex Inc., a Canadian generic drug maker challenging the patent of Pfizer on amlodipine besylate in March.

Oxfam said it supports the petition of PITC in the light of Pfizer’s claim of invention of the besylate component of Norvasc.

The international agency believes that while Pfizer’s patent on Norvasc in the Philippines will expire in June this year, the IP Phils. should act immediately to allow cheaper generic competition even before the patent expires in June.

The PITC earlier said stronger competition and a bigger market in Pakistan and India are allowing multinational drug makers to sell their products there at about 50-percent cheaper than in the Philippines. This, despite the fact that the drugs are of the same quality and manufacturers.

--M. V. de Leon