Data Analysis of the Drug Pipeline of Bangladesh: Preparation for the TRIPS-Compliant Product Patent Regime

Unlike other least developed countries (LDCs), Bangladesh has a strong pharmaceutical industry. The country was able to develop its pharmaceutical industry partly because of the pharmaceutical patent waiver issued to the LDCs under the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The country is scheduled to be a developing country in 2026 hence might not continue pharmaceutical patent waiver unlike other LDCs after 2026. It is vital for the pharmaceutical firms in Bangladesh to prepare for the TRIPS-compliant patent regime and to initiate a process of change for transforming from mere imitation of technologies to innovative industry and capacity building for developing new drugs in future. Considering limited technical and financial capacity for developing new drugs among the pharmaceutical firms in Bangladesh, this study anaylzes new drug development tendencies among the large pharmaceutical firms in Bangladesh using the commercial database Cortellis by Clarivate. It compares the analytical results on Bangladesh with those on other developing countries (such as India) that changed its patenting system from a process patent structure to a product patent system. This study will give meaningful knowledge and information to other LDC countries which might graduate from LDC status in the future.