Gilead to appeal India patent ruling on hepatitis C drug


(Reuters) - U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc will appeal the Indian patent office's rejection of its application for hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, a move that could allow local drugmakers to launch cheaper generic versions of the $1,000-a-pill medicine.

The rejection relates to the patent application covering the metabolites, or small molecules, of sofosbuvir, the chemical name of Sovaldi.

Indian drugmaker Natco Pharma and the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) had opposed Gilead's application on the grounds that the drug is not inventive enough compared with a previous formulation.

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