New Delhi: The patent battle between US pharmaceuticals major Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) and Indian firm Glenmark Pharmaceuticals over the sale of diabetes drug Januvia comes up for hearing in the Delhi High Court on Thursday. Indian pharma company Glenmark recently came out with generic versions of Merck's type-2 diabetes drugs at a 30 per cent lower price, in alleged violation of Merck's intellectual property rights.
Merck had introduced its drugs in India in 2008, pegged at one-fifth the United States price. According to market sources, a strip of seven tablets of Januvia (50 mg and 100 mg) is priced at Rs 300 while Glenmark's version costs around 30 per cent less.
MSD, in its plea, had alleged that the Indian pharma company has violated its intellectual property right (IPR) over its anti-diabetes medicines, Januvia and Janumet, by coming in the market with their own drugs containing the same salts.
(With Additional Information From PTI)...
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