India: compulsory licence for Bayer patent sought

Hyderabad based Indian pharmaceutical company Natco Pharma Limited applied for a compulsory licence for Indian Patent No. 215758 granted to Bayer Corporation of Pittsburgh, USA. The application for compulsory licence was published in the Indian Patent Office Journal of 12 August 2011. The Indian patent rules foresee a two-month period for the patentee or any other person to file opposition against the application for compulsory licence. In May 2011, Bayer Corporation initiated a patent infringement suit against Natco Pharma Limited.