Cipla moves HC against bar on sale of
generic drug
Cipla has filed an appeal
in the Delhi high court against a recent order which restrained it from selling
its generic version of Novartis drug Onbrez in the domestic market. The matter
is expected to come up for a hearing on Wednesday.
Protecting Novartis
patents on the drug, the court on January 9 issued an interim injunction
directing Cipla to stop the sale of the generic drug in the market, and apply
for a compulsory licence on the drug if it feels that sufficient quantities are
not available for patients in the country.
The company had late last
year launched its version of the drug at Rs 130 for 10 pills — one-fifth of the
price of the Novartis' Onbrez, which is sold at Rs 677 (for 10 pills).
Meanwhile, the Novartis
India board on Tuesday approved the divestment of its over-the-counter division
for nearly Rs 110 crore to the proposed healthcare joint venture between its Swiss
parent, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Three major brands of the company's
consumer healthcare division — including calcium supplement Calcium Sandoz,
nasal decongestant Otrivin and pain-relief medicine Voltaren — will be sold to
the joint venture as part of the deal.
The move is part of its
global portfolio restructuring which Swiss major Novartis agreed with UK-based
GSK in April 2014, to create a global consumer healthcare joint venture. GSK
will hold the majority share in the joint venture, while the balance will be
held by Novartis. More details on the proposed JV are not known.
Taking into account the
independent valuation report and recommendation of the audit committee, the
Novartis board approved the sale, on or before October 22, 2015, subject to
legal and regulatory approvals. The deal will also require the approval of the
FIPB. The sale includes the company's OTC patents, trademarks and R&D
assets, and the field force.
The global deal also
includes GSK's purchase of Novartis's vaccines business, and a sale of its
global oncology business to the Swiss company.
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