Buying discounted prescription drugs from India is not easy. Foreigners must navigate the country’s healthcare system, deal with mounds of paperwork and overcome a language barrier. But for many patients, traveling beyond U.S. borders is the only way they can obtain otherwise unaffordable medications.
For example, hepatitis C, which affects more than 130 million around the world, can be deadly if left untreated. Fortunately, Gilead released a cure —sofosbuvir — in late 2013, but the 12-week course of treatment is expensive, costing $84,000 in the U.S. Additionally, physicians often prescribe the life-saving drug — produced under the brand names Sovaldi and Harvoni — in combination with other medications, increasing the price further. In India, the drug’s generic version can be purchased for just $500, according to the report.
Prescription drugs are generally less expensive in India because, unlike other countries, India does not award patents to drugmakers for minor improvements to existing drugs, forcing developers to prove they have made a significant scientific advancement, according to the report.
“India has been the torchbearer of trying to show countries that there can be innovation and invention in the field, but making sure that unmerited patents don’t get granted,” said Tahir Amin, co-founder of the Initiative for Medicines, Access, & Knowledge, according to the report.
However, India’s rules could soon be on the track to reverse course. In May, the pharmaceutical industry and U.S. government — which have lobbied intensely against India’s policies — scored a major victory when Indian regulators approved one of Gilead’s patent applications of sofosbuvir. Advocates are appealing the decision, fearing it could set a precedent that would diminish global access to other expensive drugs, according to the report.
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