Not-for-profit medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has challenged a patent application of US drug major Pfizer in India for its pneumonia vaccine so that affordable versions could be introduced in the country.
"Doctors Without Borders has filed a patent opposition in India to prevent US pharmaceutical company Pfizer from getting a patent on the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), so more affordable versions can become available to developing countries and humanitarian organisations," MSF said in a statement.
This is the first time a vaccine (biosimilar) patent has been challenged in India by a medical organisation, with the goal of millions more children being protected against deadly pneumonia, it claimed.
Currently, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are the only two manufacturers of the vaccine, which could prevent a large number of these deaths, MSF said.
Due to higher pricing, Pfizer PCV13 (marketed as Prevenar) is out of reach for people in many developing countries and for humanitarian organisations. It is now 68 times more expensive to vaccinate a child than in 2001, it said.
"The pneumonia vaccine is the world's best-selling vaccine, and last year alone, Pfizer brought in more than USD 6 billion in sales just for this product; meanwhile many developing countries, where millions of children risk getting pneumonia, simply can't afford it," Executive Director of MSF's Access Campaign Manica Balasegaram said.
To make sure children everywhere can be protected from deadly pneumonia, other companies need to enter the market to supply this vaccine for a much lower price than what Pfizer charges, Balasegaram added.
Doctors Without Borders said its decision to oppose Pfizer's patent application comes after "years of fruitless negotiations" to get the company to reduce the price of the drug so that it can be used by humanitarian organisations.
"MSF is challenging this patent application in India to ensure that manufacturers who are planning to produce the pneumonia vaccine do not face key patent barriers at the time of launching a more affordable version," it said.
When contacted, a Pfizer India spokesperson told PTI: "At this time, we have not received the notice of a pre-grant opposition from MSF."
However, Pfizer has been in talks with the Indian government health officials to understand local needs and government priorities with the goal of meeting their needs in their recently announced expanded immunisation programme, the spokesperson said.
