A consignment of medicines en route to Nigeria from India, sent by Aurobindo Pharma under the Clinton Foundation initiative, has been stopped by the Dutch authorities citing breach of intellectual property rights of the drugs of another pharma firm.
The Clinton Foundation helps in saving the lives of millions of children and adults infected with HIV in the developing world who lack access to life-saving drugs. The Foundation purchases drugs from manufacturers, particularly in the developing economies.
Elaborating on the development, a Commerce Ministry official told reporters here today: "This was an Aurobindo Pharma consignment and it was going to Nigeria from India. (The consignment consisted of) anti AIDS medicine and this was rooted through Clinton Foundation which had bought it from Aurobindo. We are trying to collect more details".
The Dutch authorities stopped the consignment on the basis that the drugs breach IPR rights of a multi-national pharma firm, he added.
Aurobindo Pharma officials were not available for comment.
Earlier in December 2008, Dutch customs authorities had seized a consignment of generic drug of Indian firm Dr Reddy's for high blood pressure sent to Brazil.
