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CHALLENGES &

OPPORTUNITIES IN

HERBAL PATENTING

Dr. Gopakumar G. NairURL: www.gnaipr.com

Email: gopanair@gnaipr.net

March 20, 2009

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“Necessity is the Mother of Inventions”

(in Ancient Times) • Necessity in Modern Times/ Compulsions to

Invent and Patent.– Creating absolute monopolies in method of treatment and

medicines– Increase market share– Putting competitors out of business– Higher Salary, perks and royalty for Scientists– Litigation Opportunities for Lawyers----------------------------------------------------------------- Indian Bayh Dole Act

(Public Funded IP Bill) 2008

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Sources

• Serendipity

• Intensive Research

• Need-based Solutions

• Disruptive inventions

• Incremental Innovations

Innovations/Inventions/ Patentable subject - matter

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• Novelty

• Inventive Step/Non-obviousness

• Industrial Application

The Patentability Criteriain

Herbal-based Drugs

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Patentability Filter

• Prior use/ prior publication/ prior disclosure • Industrial applicability • Novelty • Non-obviousness- inventiveness • Sec.3- Not patentable• Written description / enablement requirements• Application/ specification/ claims• Patent prosecution• Maintenance / Defense after grant

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TRIPS – Article 27

Patentable Subject Matter1. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3, patents shall be available for any inventions,

whether products or processes, in all fields of technology, provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application.[1] Subject to paragraph 4 of Article 65, paragraph 8 of Article 70 and paragraph 3 of this Article, patents shall be available and patent rights enjoyable without discrimination as to the place of invention, the field of technology and whether products are imported or locally produced.

2. Members may exclude from patentability inventions, the prevention within their territory of the commercial exploitation of which is necessary to protect ordre public or morality, including to protect human, animal or plant life or health or to avoid serious prejudice to the environment, provided that such exclusion is not made merely because the exploitation is prohibited by their law.

3. Members may also exclude from patentability:

(a) diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical methods for the treatment of humans or animals;

(b) plants and animals other than micro-organisms, and essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals other than non-biological and microbiological processes. However, Members shall provide for the protection of plant varieties either by patents or by an effective sui generis system or by any combination thereof. The provisions of this subparagraph shall be reviewed four years after the date of entry into

force of the WTO Agreement.

[1] For the purposes of this Article, the terms "inventive step" and "capable of industrial application" may be deemed by a Member to be synonymous with the terms "non-obvious" and "useful" respectively.

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Challenges in overcoming Absolute Non-Patentability in

Herbal DrugsSection 2 (1) (j) : “invention” means a new product or

process involving and inventive step and capable of industrial application.

Section 2 (1) (ja): "inventive step" means a feature of invention that involves technical advance as compared to the existing knowledge or having economic significance or both and that makes the invention not obvious to a person skilled in the art.

Herbal Powders/Pastes/juices – in Capsules , Liquids or other dosage forms (Naturally Occurring)

Section 3 (c) : the mere discovery of a scientific principle or the formulation of 20 [or discovery of any living thing or non-living substance occurring in nature];

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Novelty

Impact of – Prior Art– Traditional Knowledge– Known uses– Known dosage forms

Overcoming Prior Art

- New Techniques/processes- Novel dosage forms of known herbs- New uses (?) - approaches

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Non-obviousness / Inventive Step

Will need to “invent” product/process not obvious to a person skilled in the art.

Ex:- Acquous Extract of Herb – known Alcoholic/Solvent extract of Herb – ?

Additional Step – Characterization – Standardization

– Marker Compound Isolation – Marker Compound Identification – Fingerprint approach

Use of chromatography techniquesComparative study over powder or known extractEnriched fractionsNewer extraction techniquesPre-treatment/multi treatment

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Drug Discovery Research From Traditional Knowledge

• No short cuts.• Will need to integrate TK with modern clinical practices.• Integration of concepts and ideas with open mindsets.

Challenges in India vis-à-vis China• Severe resistance from powerful lobby of Ayurvedic industry and

profession• Poor status of standardization and characterization• Lack of clear Regulatory/Clinical guidelines and roadmap.• Absence of National/Governmental awareness on high global potential.• Indian mind-set issues.

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Myths regarding Herbal Medicines

• 100% Safe and effective• 0% Side Effects• Formulae based on ancient Ayurvedic texts are

commercially viable, as such.• Traditional Formulation commercially sold

contains all ingredients mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic texts.

• Modern research and methods may impact current practices

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Many options to choose from

• Leads to be adopted from texts

• Current use and customs in tribes and communities.

• Grand mother remedies.

Preferred/recommended approach

Principle: Reverse Pharmacology Clinic to Laboratory

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Options and Approaches

Herbs

Standardized Extracts Isolated Compounds

2 - 4yrs 12 – 14 yrs

New Drugs

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Disease based Approach

• Alzheimer / Dementia

• Cancer

• AIDs

• Anti-diabetic

• Anti-hepatotoxic

• Immunodulator/Adaptogen

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Herbs Based Approach • Study herbs, extracts, ingredients for use in different disease.

– Eg. Artemisinin extracted from Artemisia for the treatment of malaria. Globally accepted for treatment of Malaria, now being tested for treatment of Cancer, HIV and other advanced disease.

• US Patent 5019590 titled ‘Antimalarial analogs of Artemisinin’

• 3603/DELNP/2005 (WO/2004/071506) titled ‘Use of Artemisinin for treating tumors induced by oncogenic viruses and for treating viral infections’

• 2258/DELNP/2006 titled ‘Compound Artemisinin’

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Plant based drugs and medicines

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Poly-Herbal Approach

• Herbal Extract combination therapy• Followed widely and accepted by regulatory authorities in

India, China and developing countries

Single Herbal Approach

• Followed in Siddha (vs. Ayurveda)

• Ideal for mining leads for research leading to regulatory

approval in developed countries.

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Well Known Proven Herbs with Extended

Research Potential Few selected examples

• Circumin and Circuminoids – 1612/CHE/2005 titled ‘A Combination Antimalarial Drug

Therapy With Curcumin And Artemisnin’• Piperin

– 1476/MAS/1995 titled ‘Use Of Piperine As A Bioavailability Enhancer’

• Picroliv (Kutkin)– 661/CAL/1999 (WO/2001/007062) titled A Synergistic

Composition (Glycyrrhizia Glabra and Picrorhiza kurroa) for the treatment of liver and liver associated ailments and a process for preparing the same

• Gingerin – US 2008300304 titled ‘Ginger Fraction For Inhibiting

Human Cyp Enzymes ’

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Patent Literature Analysis on Herbal Medicine

• 70% - 75% China

• 10% - 15% Japan

• 5% - 10% Korea

• 2% - 5% India

• Rest Africa and Latin America

Most herbal patents found in US and China (US and CN direct or through PCT)

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Patenting Opportunities in India

• Heavily Restricted with controls and interference

• Limited Patenting Opportunities

• Impractical Biodiversity Act.

• Declaration of source and origin

• Absence of clear regulatory guidelines in herbal research.

• Apathy at all levels

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Patenting Opportunities in USA and Developed

Countries• High Appreciation and acceptance for Natural

and Herbal based Medicines.

• Prioritized introduction of regulatory System

• Open mindset and acceptance of traditional medicine.

• Keenness to adopt assimilate and absorb herbal/traditional knowledge based technologies.

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Opportunities

• Indian Scientists and Research Labs should work closely, intensively and passionately to develop herbal products for advanced medical treatment in collaboration with US, European research labs/univ.

• Patent the findings-product, process etc. globally/through PCT route.

• Support strong model of sustainable development of herbal resources without endangering the species in developing and under-developing countries.

• Have open mindset for practicable benefit sharing business model.

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The Patents Act, 1970• Sec.3(p) - Inventions not Patentable

– “an invention which in effect, is traditional knowledge or which is an aggregation or duplication of known properties or traditionally known component or components”

• Sec.10(4)(D) - Contents of Specification – “disclose the source and geographical origin of the biological material in

the specification, when used in an invention”.• Sec.25(1)(k) - Pre-grant Opposition & Sec.25(2)(k) - Post-grant Opposition

– “That the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete specification is anticipated having regard to the knowledge, oral or otherwise, available within any local or indigenous community in India or elsewhere”

• Sec 64(q) - Revocation proceedings– “That the invention so far as claimed in any claim of the complete

specification was anticipated having regard to the knowledge, oral or otherwise, available within any local or indigenous community in India or elsewhere”

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The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 • Sec.6

(1) No person shall apply for any intellectual property right, by whatever name called, in or outside India for any invention based on any research or information on a biological resource obtained from India without obtaining the previous approval of the National Biodiversity Authority before making such application: Provided that if a person applies for a patent, permission of the National Biodiversity Authority may be obtained after the acceptance of the patent but before the sealing of the patent by the patent authority concerned: Provided further that the National Biodiversity shall dispose of the application for permission made to it within a period of ninety days from the date of receipt thereof. (2) The National Biodiversity Authority may, while granting the approval under this section, impose benefit sharing fee or royalty or both or impose conditions including the sharing of financial benefits arising out of the commercial utilization of such rights. (3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person making an application for any right under any law relating to protection of plant varieties enacted by Parliament. (4) Where any right is granted under law referred to in sub-section (3), the concerned authority granting such right shall endorse a copy of such document granting the right to the National Biodiversity Authority.

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Biodiversity Appln. Form

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Letter from Biodiversity Authority

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Approval (NOC) from Biodiversity Authority

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New use of known herbs/extracts

• Patentable in India – only through novel dosage forms/formulations OR synergestic combinations [3(c)]

• Patentable in Europe – Even through known dosage forms, if efficacy in new indication is demonstrated.

• Patentable in USA – preferably as a Method of Treatment

---------------------------------------------------------------Method of Treatment – Not Patentable in India [(Sec. 3(i)]

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AYURVEDIC & SIDDHA SYSTEMS

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