The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) has written a detailed letter to the Group of Ministers (GoM) reiterating that all its members were unanimous in opposing patent applications meant to delay the entry of generics, informed a press release.

"The IPA position on Patent Law, developed over a three-year period after in depth deliberations, was endorsed unanimously by all members, including Ranbaxy, at the meeting of its executive council on October 11,\" the letter dated October 18 said, as per the release. IPA President Habil Khorakiwala said that as far as this issue was concerned, all of its members including Ranbaxy share a unanimous opinion.

According to the release, Brian Tempest, Ranbaxy CEO said that they fully support IPA\'s position on patents, and added that patentability, if not defined clearly in the law, would not only lead to litigation but also result in \'extensions\' of patents depriving the public of access to generics after the expiry of the main patent.

IPA\'s position on this issue is that \"Patents intended to delay the entry of generics, such as patents for polymorphs, hydrates, isomers, metabolites, substantially pure, particle size, blood levels, etc must not be permitted. These are not inventions and should be incorporated appropriately in the Bill\" according to the release.

The alliance representing research based national companies in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology has also demanded the retention of pre-grant opposition as provided in section 25 of the Indian Patents Act and has been stressing that it should not be done away with as proposed in the Bill.

The export of drugs and pharmaceuticals of its members stands at Rs 5, 600 crores, more than one-third of the country\'s total exports of drugs and pharmaceuticals, and they collectively service about 30 per cent of the domestic market, the release said.