NPPA ropes in patent office to decide on pleas for price cap exemption

India's drug pricing regulator, NPPA, is increasing scrutiny of pharmaceutical companies seeking price exemptions. The NPPA is collaborating with the Indian Patent Office to evaluate applications, including those from Intas Pharmaceuticals and Biological E, under DPCO, 2013. These companies claim their new drugs, developed through indigenous research and patented in India, qualify for a five-year exemption from price controls.