Bangladesh Sees Drug Export Opportunity in Indian Patent Law Revisions

Pharmaceutical firms in Bangladesh are hoping a new Indian patent law banning Indian companies from manufacturing cheap generic drugs could prove a tonic for their exports. “We are eyeing to export medicine worth about Taka 50 billion in the year 2006 as the government of India is going to impose a ban on copy-patented medicines,� said SM Shafiuzzaman, President of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries (BAPI) in a March 26, 2005 article. "India's law is a big advantage for us because our companies will continue to copy patented drugs whereas the Indians cannot," Nazmul Hassan, chief executive officer of Bangladesh's second biggest drug maker Beximco Pharmaceuticals, said Saturday. MA Hassan, managing director of Aristo Pharma Limited also admitted that local pharmaceutical exports could make a boom as India is going to impose a ban. But he pointed out that this is the time for the government to come forward with helping hands.