Cipla PDF
Cipla PDF
Cipla PDF
Section - C
Team Details
MARKETING SPARTANS
2. P39125 Arjun V S
Case No: 05
CIPLA
Executive Summary:
In 2003, after 8 years of India joining the WTO, India signed the Agreement on trade related
aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in 1995. The agreement called for India to
recognise 20 year product patents on most inventions including pharmaceuticals by 2005.
India poised to enforce international patents in just two short years. The Chemical, Industrial
& Pharmaceutical Laboratories popularly known as CIPLA LTD. is a multimillion dollar
pharmaceutical giant, specifically working on generic pharmaceutical products, or in other
words, is focused on developing generics to cater to the bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers
and also to export the low cost medicines to other countries like Africa. Currently Mr. Yusuf
Hamied is CEO of company. He as a visionary thinks that Pharmaceuticals and life saving
medicine industry should remain free of the patent laws, be it on humanitarian grounds. The
CIPLA manufactures the drugs patented by huge MNC’s, which spend enough resources in
R&D of the same, by reverse engineering for generic substitutes and cutting on costs owing
to Indian National Patent Laws and low cost labour. After the TRIPS agreement CIPLA CEO
has a conundrum to tackle to as much of the product line of the company become unsalable
with introduction of the new enforcements in 2 years time. Over and above, the sanctions will
open the Indian Pharmaceuticals market and all the MNC pharmaceutical companies will
eagerly come to India to stabilise the loss of around 500 million dollar sales annually,
because of low cost generic manufacturers like CIPLA meeting the threshold at a much lower
cost.
The best strategy to counter is to take advantage of the sanctions and other measures without
disturbing the overall TRIPS strategy. Since TRIPS caters to a multipronged and a multitude
of arenas, CIPLA could approach WTO with an evocative plan of marginalising the
stringency of the TRIPS for pharmaceuticals industry in specific.
Stake Holders:
1) CIPLA Ltd. - The Chemical, Industrial and Pharmaceutical Ltd. was founded in
1935 by Mr. Khawaja Abdul Hamied, a German educated chemist and
entrepreneur. He was very enthusiastic to take ahead Cipla. Mr. Khwaja had good
3
relationship with high profile political leaders, likes of Mr. Jakir Hussain, called
upon by father of nation Mahatma Gandhi, to start a national university. On the
request of Mahatma Gandhi, CIPLA supplied medications to support British in
war effort. After Mr. Khwaja passed away, his son took over and with his
expertise, led the expansion trail of the company to manufacture 400 drugs,
including anti-asthmatic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-AIDS
medications. Its three out of five plants were approved by US food and drug
administration as well as WHO. CIPLA was one of the first Indian companies to
be appreciated for its stringent run atmosphere.
2) Mr. Yusuf Hamied – CEO, CIPLA Ltd.
3) Mr. J.P. Garnier – CEO, GlaxoSmithKline, which is one of largest company in
USA in Pharmaceutical sector. He had objections raised concerning the working
of CIPLA Ltd. because he felt that Indian firms were able to dramatically undercut
their prices and win market share because they didn’t have to bear steep R&D
costs.
4) WHO (World Health Organisation) - is part of UN dealing with health related
issues on global scale.
Main Report
I. Situation Analysis
(a) Statement of Objectives:
To find a solution to the conflict of interest upcoming due to change in patent laws
after signing of TRIPS and the company’s production, which will be deemed
unsalable.
To find a solution to provide low cost medicines and save the company working on
this perspective, i.e., looking at the greater mass good by working on the basis of
humanitarian approach.
ii. Another alternative can be, lobbying since he is very influential person of this
country having high profile political connections and founder of Indian Drug
Manufacturer’s Association.
5
iii. Third can be rather than worrying about new entrants, his company should focus
now on other areas like exporting off – selling the patent expired drugs as soon as
possible.