Companies fight against cheap Indian drugs

There are fears that India's poorest could lose access to vital medicines if big drug companies succeed in curbing the country's generic medications industry.

Several pharmaceutical giants are using India's courts in an attempt to block the production of key generic drugs used by cancer sufferers and those with HIV.

Generic Indian drugs cost a fraction of the price of the equivalent products. Essentially, the drugs are local copies of those originally produced by international pharmaceutical companies.

The availability of cheap generic anti-retro viral drugs that prevent HIV being passed from mothers to their children is what has stopped the disease from reaching full-blown epidemic levels in India.

Anjali Gopalan, who heads India's NAZ foundation, which is committed to raising awareness about HIV, says the drugs are the difference between life and death.

"At some level we've been able to arrest the spread of the infection, but suddenly we are seeing high prevalence districts crop up all over the country," she said.

"Without these cheap anti-retro drugs it is sure death for our people. Without them this infection is going to go viral. Without these drugs people are going to die horrible deaths."

As well as HIV, generic drugs are used for most diseases including hepatitis C, tuberculosis and even cancer.

They make up 90 per cent of India's pharmaceuticals market.

But as India's pharmaceutical market grows international companies are seeking a bigger share and the battle is being fought in India's courts.

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Companies fight against cheap Indian drugs