Buying Physicians’ Prescriptions in Cash or Kind: A Global (Dis)Order?

Recently a European business lobby reportedly raised its voice alleging pharma Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in China have been ‘unfairly targeted’ by a string of investigations into bribery and price-fixing cases despite their generally ‘strong legal compliance’ and has suggested that China … Continue reading

Two Paintings on the Same Canvas: ‘Truth About Drug Companies’ and ‘Protecting Access to Medicines’

As the saying goes, “Great people think alike”, many thought leaders of very high credibility across the globe, seem to think almost in similar lines when it comes to improving access to medicines for a large section of the global … Continue reading

“New drug prices are Astronomical, Unsustainable and Immoral” – Anatomy of Unique Protests

Yes. The quoted sentiment captured in the headline was reportedly voiced recently by many cancer specialists, including researchers and that too in the heartland of pharmaceutical innovation of the world– the United States of America. These specialist doctors argued: “High … Continue reading

The Ghost Keeps Haunting: NCD Dogs Cancer in ‘Compulsory License’ Debate of India

In November 2012, as a part of the ‘Campaign for Affordable Trastuzumab’ for the treatment of breast cancer, a citizens’ collective, reportedly sent an ‘Open Letter’ signed by around 200 cancer survivors, women’s groups, human rights and health rights campaigns … Continue reading

Obama Wins: ‘Obamacare’ stays on course… and what it means to India?

Re-election of President Barrack Obama for another four year term, no doubt, sends a clear signal to all concerned that full implementation of the ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’ of America, which is also known to many as ‘Obamacare’, … Continue reading

India: Too Enticing a Pharma Market to Ignore by the Global Players despite unhappiness

A White-Paper, titled “Emerging Markets Today and Tomorrow: Insights on Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Future Trends in the BRIC Landscape”, released by a global technology and services company specializing in healthcare, Cegedim, in June, 2012 highlighted that 20 to 30 percent … Continue reading

“Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients”: Exploring the book to be released in the Indian context

The title of today’s article could make some of the readers uncomfortable and angry, just as what I experienced while writing the same, being a long time follower and student of the pharmaceutical industry, both global and local. Ethical business … Continue reading

Pharma industry requires striking a right balance between ethical obligations to shareholders and ethical obligations to patients

On September 15, 2012, while delivering his keynote address in a pharmaceutical industry function, Dr. Sam Pitroda, the Chicago based Indian, creator of the telecom revolution in India and the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure & … Continue reading