Roche to offer discounted cancer drugs in India

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/23/roche-discounted-cancer-drugs-india

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche plans to offer sharply discounted versions of two cancer drugs in India.

The news comes after the Indian government stripped the German drugmaker Bayer of exclusive rights to produce the kidney cancer drug Nexavar earlier this month, and licensed a local company to make a cheap, generic version, arguing that many Indians could not otherwise afford the life-saving drug.

Roche, the world's biggest maker of cancer drugs, said it would offer "significantly" cheaper, locally branded versions of its two cancer drugs Herceptin and MabThera towards the end of the year or in 2013. They will be renamed and packaged by Roche's Indian partner Emcure Pharmaceuticals.

"The scope is to enable access for a large majority of patients who currently pay out of pocket as well as to partner with the government to enable increased access to our products for people in need," said a Roche spokesman.