Independent journalist and contributor, Down To Earth. Her concerns relate to the way power structures in society - business corporations, governments and lobbies - impact the lives of the powerless.
Lethal hypocrisy of US Special 301 Report
Patent protection in the US is a convoluted and expensive business and yet it pulls up other countries that have robust systems
When generics turn into Big Pharma
Top generics firms, some from India, are charged with price-fixing and sleazy deals; Sun Pharma has paid up to settle claims
Bedaquiline patent win is a half victory
India’s ability to eliminate its huge TB burden by 2025 will be a test of both its patent laws and healthcare policy
Fading history of Novartis v Union of India
The 2013 landmark Supreme Court judgement offers critical lessons on the intent behind crucial aspects of India’s key patent law
Why the move to foist a GI tag on Mandu’s baobab tree is a no-brainer
Commerce ministry’s drive to push up the Geographical Indications tally is a lazy exercise that does not benefit local communities
Why Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else globally
The root of the problem is a patent system that allows pharma companies to keep out competition and keep prices sky high
GM Mustard, Joshimath: Gagging scientists is a lousy idea; here’s why
Science needs to be open; the silencing of experts by the Modi regime on critical issues is against the public interest
Pharma’s dirty deals to stall generics
As generic companies, including Indian firms, collude with innovator pharma giants in pay-for-delay pacts, consumers pay a high price
Cuetlaxochitl: The story of America’s Christmas Eve shrub has lessons for free trade, patents
Poinsettia can be an example of intellectual property rights or biopiracy; it depends on whose interests one wants to nourish and protect: the …
Henrietta Lacks: The troubling legacy of a Black woman’s cells
Ethical concerns over her cells, the most widely used in research, are in the spotlight as family seeks reparation
India is patently way behind on 5G
Policy blocks and poor vision have held up 5G in India, while China’s breakthroughs are helping to set global standards
Desperate writ petitions of dying patients
Cancer, TB patients are urging a reluctant government to use compulsory licences to make life-saving drugs accessible
Moderna strikes with a new lawsuit
Moderna is trying to be gatekeeper for the mRNA platform for future drug development, raising monopolistic fears
A COVID-19 encore with monkeypox
A familiar pattern is emerging in the battle against monkeypox with the US and Europe grabbing scarce vaccine supplies
Is the COVID-19 vaccine story over?
India claims vaccines are no longer an issue in the battle against COVID-19, but a host of developing nations would disagree
Only a piglet in Russia’s war on patents
Post-Ukraine, Russia has held back from appropriating intellectual property despite a law to punish unfriendly countries
India finally gives in on TRIPS waiver
The WTO agreement on a limited patents waiver merely restates exemptions already available under existing rules
Charity after profiteering, the Big Pharma way
Pfizer to sell its medicines at no profit in world’s poorest countries, and other big names to make cancer drugs more accessible
Intellectual Property: Why is India silent, as a compromise deal on COVID-19 therapies is worked out
The fact is, Indian and South African interests have diverged; India is not in desperate need of vaccines anymore and hence does not want to …
Will Biden dare to use march-in rights?
Health advocates are asking Washington to use laws that allow patent override on drugs developed with public funds
In the midst of war, Russia hits at patents
As US-EU sanctions deepen, Moscow passes a law to allow free use of patents owned by ‘unfriendly countries’
‘Compromise’ on TRIPS waiver is a sellout
Tough new conditions emerge in the compromise deal to ease WTO intellectual property barriers to production of COVID-19 medical tools
Bizarre patent tussles over a COVID-19 jab
Moderna’s many intellectual property disputes over its vaccine highlight the need for a patent-free regime to fight the pandemic
COVID-19: India trips on its patent waiver proposal
New Delhi has not backed its WTO proposal to suspend intellectual property rights on COVID-19 pharma products with robust action
Viva Cuba for its vaccine revolution
Punching way above its weight, the tiny nation has developed five vaccines, and offers hope of vaccine equity across the world
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