Roche's new breast cancer drug that could cut treatment time denied patent

Roche has filed for a patent for its new drug formulation meant for subcutaneous administration

The Indian Patent Office has refused a patent for an invention by Swiss pharma major F Hoffmann-La Roche AG related to a drug formulation meant to be injected below the skin to treat breast cancer, following a pre-grant opposition by the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA). The company has claimed that the method, which has several advantages compared to intravenous injections, is useful in cancer drugs such as Trastuzumab (Herceptin) and Pertuzumab (Perjeta).

The decision was taken in response to a national phase application Roche had filed in January 2012 for its invention titled Subcutaneous anti-HER2 Antibody Formulation. The IPA filed