| The pharmaceutical companies that rely on intellectual | | | | projection in the generic manufacture of increasingly |
| property rights are now in a war of attrition with the | | | | sophisticated drugs. The I.P.R. (intellectual property |
| generic manufacturers. The generic manufacturers | | | | rights) oriented pharmaceutical companies are raising |
| are essentially caught in a price trap in their own | | | | the barriers to this onslaught by patenting line |
| domestic market and unable to invest substantial | | | | extensions or N.D.D.S. (new drug delivery systems). |
| amounts in research even if they change their work | | | | This war of attrition can only be harmful for both |
| culture to nurture such talent. This has led to a | | | | sides as markets that were predominantly in the |
| conundrum of sorts. The intellectual property rights | | | | developed world have now been showing the |
| owner, armed with the trips agreement, thought | | | | inevitable shifts in dynamics to Asia. These dynamics |
| they would eventually prevail. The recent legal | | | | are exhibited not only in market growth but also in |
| setbacks, particularly in enforcing intellectual property | | | | manufacturing growth. The latest take over of a |
| rights for Oncology drugs, in India and Thailand are | | | | large generic pharmaceutical company in India by a |
| out in the open. Added to this problem, various | | | | large I.P.R. Japanese company could pave the way |
| authoritative reports are projecting a rapid growth | | | | for an Asian consolidation and show the way to |
| for Asian markets for pharmaceuticals. Both China | | | | decrease the attrition problems. However, one does |
| and India are projected to be large markets in the | | | | know whether this will lead to further deals, similar to |
| near to medium term with an above trend growth | | | | the one mentioned above, between European |
| rate. | | | | American I.P.R. manufacturers and Asian |
| The understanding of the chemistry and, off late, | | | | manufacturers. Conversely, the consolidation could |
| biology of the manufacture of both chemical and | | | | become an 'east versus west' confrontational |
| biological therapeutics has led to an ambitious | | | | problem and exasperate the attrition problem. |