Pfizer IP head says that IP protectionism in India is discouraging foreign investment

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Pfizer IP head says that IP protectionism in India is discouraging foreign investment

Pfizer’s chief IP counsel decries India’s “protectionist intellectual property regime” in testimony before the United States Congress, reports the Financial Times

Speaking at a hearing before the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Roy Waldron of Pfizer argued that India’s intellectual property laws favoured local industries at the expense of international companies. He pointed to the recent revocation of his company’s patent for cancer drug sutent as evidence of an increasingly protectionist IP regime. According to Waldron, the situation has worsened and is discouraging international investment in India.

Waldron also criticised India’s likely increasing use of compulsory licences, even though he claims that Pfizer is “more than willing to discuss viable solutions to increase access to quality medicines”.

Waldron’s comments reflect growing concerns about patent rights in India. Last week, the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) upheld the country’s first compulsory licence issued for Bayer's sorafenib. In an interview with Managing IP, IPAB Chairperson Prabha Sridevan defended the board’s decision, calling compulsory licensing a “balanced approach” to protecting the interests of rights holders and the general public.

“Compulsory licences are not a denigration of the owner’s rights,” she argued. “The patent rights are intact until the patent is invalidated.”

The Indian government has indicated that more compulsory licences are almost certainly coming. While the sorafenib compulsory licence was issued under section 84 of the Patent Act, which requires an application from a generic manufacturer, the government itself recently initiated proceedings for three more compulsory licences. The Department of Pharmaceuticals, which initiated the proceedings, relied on section 92, which allows the government to issue compulsory licences in the case of “national emergency or in circumstances of extreme urgency”.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

A flurry of hiring activity among UK firms suggests they are confident of mounting a serious challenge at the UPC
With the submission deadline approaching, we sat down with our research team to provide top tips on how to make your firm stand out
EA, owner of video games including Madden and The Sims, will be sold to a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and a firm owned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law
New arrival marks Mewburn Ellis' second partner hire in ten days as firm looks to boost patent litigation and prosecution capabilities
In-house counsel and teams are invited to submit information for the 21st annual Managing IP Awards
The 2025 list of Rising Stars and Corporate Stars, produced by Managing IP’s accreditation title IP STARS, is now available
Eszter Szakács, partner at Danubia in Hungary, discusses women’s progression, workplace flexibility, and how to deal with imposter syndrome
Rob Fewery is a solicitor at Allwyn Entertainment in the UK
Piotr Rafalski is a patent attorney at Qemetica in Poland
Roshni Suchak is a legal counsel at SSP Group in the UK
Gift this article