Indian Patent Office rejects GlaxoSmithKline 's EMR application for diabetic drug

The Indian Patent Office has reportedly rejected GlaxoSmithKline Beecham's application for exclusive marketing rights (EMR) for Avandia, an anti-diabetic drug for type-2 diabetes.

GlaxoSmithKline was the first drug company to apply for EMR since the enactment of the Patent (First Amendment) Act, 1998.

It appears that the rejection of this and three other EMR applications was mainly due to the reason that the patent for the new chemical entity had not been filed before January 1, 1995, one of the four key requirements for applying for the rights.