BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

India rejects Bayer appeal for Nexavar compulsory license

March 6, 2013 2:28 AM UTC

India's Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) upheld a 2012 decision granting Natco Pharma Ltd. (BSE:NATCO; NSE:NATCOPHARM) a compulsory license in India to manufacture and market a generic version of kidney and liver cancer drug Nexavar sorafenib from Bayer AG (Xetra:BAYN). According to Natco, IPAB did increase Bayer's royalties on sales of Natco's generic sorafenib in India to 7% from 6%.

Bayer was appealing the compulsory license, which the Indian Patent Office granted last March because Bayer did not make Nexavar available to the public at a "reasonably affordable price." The license allows Natco to sell sorafenib in India at a price not exceeding Rs8,800 ($160) for a month's supply of 120 tablets. In September, IPAB rejected a petition from Bayer for a stay of the order granting the compulsory license while the appeal was pending (see BioCentury Extra, Sept. 17, 2012). ...