Morning Brief Podcast: Patients before patents & profits: Should MNCs rethink their drug monopoly strategy?

A dose of success for patient rights in India as the Indian Patent Office rejected J&J’s application to extend its monopoly over selling miracle anti-Tuberculosis drug Bedaquiline after a plea filed by two TB survivors. But is this a one off or will this push MNCs to rethink their drug monopoly strategy? Does the government need to rethink their role in protecting the patients right to ensure MNCs give the same due to Indian users as US based patients ? Host Kiran Somvanshi of The Economic Times debates the issue of evergreening of patents and the abuse of patient rights in this episode of the Morning Brief.