Local firms got voluntary license for more drugs during pandemic
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Synopsis
A voluntary licence (VL) is an authorisation given by the patent holder to a generic company to produce a patented drug while a compulsory licence (CL) is granted by the Controller General of Patents without the consent of the patentee.
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Since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, Indian drug manufacturers have launched a record number of patented drugs despite the country not issuing any compulsory licence, thanks to the voluntary licensing system.
Besides Covid-19 vaccines Covishield and Sputnik V, five patented drugs have been launched in the country through voluntary licence deals with original patent holders for their manufacturing and marketing. These include remdesivir by Gilead Sciences, baricitinib by Eli Lilly, tocilizumab by Roche, molnupiravir by Merck, and a Covid-19 tablet by Ennaid Therapeutics.