Why can Indian imitation Gleevec (Imatinib) be so cheap? The research and development of the original drug Gleevec (imatinib) often takes more than ten years and huge capital investment. After the new drug is developed, the cost will naturally be passed on to the drug price. The patent protection period of the original drug is generally 20 years. After the patent protection expires, pharmaceutical companies can copy it. During the patent protection period, the original drug is expensive, and the average price of generic drugs is only 20% to 40% of the original drug, and the difference between individual drugs is even greater.
According to the Indian patent law, compulsory license is applicable to cases where the public's reasonable demand for patented inventions is not met, or the public cannot obtain patented inventions at a reasonable and affordable price, or the patented inventions are not used in India. In other words, high-priced drugs that ordinary people can't afford, regardless of whether the patent protection period has passed or not, can be copied directly, so India's Gleevec (imatinib) can be so cheap.