[Med-privacy] Hindu Business Line: Drug companies focusing on data protection
DPeelMD@aol.com
DPeelMD@aol.com
Mon, 26 Apr 2004 01:56:45 EDT
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Its really quite fascinating: drug companies want strong protections for the
privacy of their own intellectual property, yet they worked hard to get the US
Govt. to eliminate the privacy of every American's prescription records.
Apparently only the privacy of their own sensitive and valuable corporate
proprietary information deserves protection, but not the sensitive and valuable
identifaible prescription records of all Americans.
Deborah C. Peel, MD
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, Apr 25, 2004
Drug companies focusing on data protection
Sanjiv Shankaran
Chennai , April 24
KEEPING secrets was never more valued in the pharmaceutical industry. A
combination of impending changes in Indian patent laws and the growing importance
of intellectual property have pushed some companies to get employees to sign
confidentiality agreements.
Confidentiality agreements have not been limited to employees. Companies no
longer use recruitment as a way to buy another firm's confidential information.
For instance, Orchid Chemicals, which researches new drugs, does not expect a
potential recruit to disclose specific details of research carried out in the
course of the existing job.
"We don't want knowledge transplantation. As a company we are more interested
in skills and competence," said Dr C.B. Rao, Deputy Managing Director,
Orchid.
The growing respect for intellectual property in general could be traced
especially to the last three to five years, said Mr Sri Mosur, Vice
President-Global Strategic Business Development, Austin Chemical Company.
The US-based Austin had helped Indian companies like Shasun Chemicals to find
business opportunities overseas.
Mr Sri Mosur said the expected tightening in the Indian patent laws by the
year-end, and the realisation that intellectual property was of greater value
than the final product had contributed to the growing respect for intellectual
property.
"Indian companies will realise that cost effectiveness is not just by low
cost manpower alone, but technological innovation which needs to be guarded as
they tread the path of globalisation," said Mr Sri Mosur.
Industry sources said though some companies discouraged the practice of
getting confidential information from scientists who changed jobs, the entire
industry did not follow a standard. Loosely, companies that carried out lots of
research and collaborated with overseas companies tended to respect data secrecy.
Despite differences in the standard, industry hands from companies that
enforced confidentiality agreements said the legal system protected them.
For instance, if another company came out with a product that suggested trade
secrets had been stolen, the aggrieved party could approach the courts.
Some industry observers, however, are unsure about the extent of the legal
system's influence in nudging the industry to respect intellectual property. Mr
Balaji K., Program Manager of Asia Pacific Life Sciences Practice at Frost &
Sullivan, felt laws and the legal system might not provide enough protection.
"Is it really strong?
Is it (a verdict) possible within a definite time-frame?" he questioned.
While hurdles exist, the move towards data protection could only grow, felt
industry sources.
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<DIV>Its really quite fascinating: drug companies want strong prot=
ections for the privacy of their own intellectual property, yet th=
ey worked hard to get the US Govt. to eliminate the privacy of every Am=
erican's prescription records. Apparently only the privacy of their own=
sensitive and valuable corporate proprietary information deserves=
protection, but not the sensitive and valuable identifaible prescription re=
cords of all Americans.</DIV>
<DIV>Deborah C. Peel, MD</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D4><STRONG><IMG height=3D62 src=3D"http://w=
ww.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/bline.gif" width=3D320><BR></STRONG><FONT=20=
class=3Dleftnavi color=3Dblue size=3D-1>Financial Daily from THE HINDU group=
of publications</FONT><BR><FONT class=3Dleftnavi color=3Dbrown>Sunday, Apr=20=
25, 2004</FONT><FONT color=3D#000000> </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D4><STRONG>Drug companies focusing on data=20=
protection </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<P><STRONG>Sanjiv Shankaran </STRONG>
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P>Chennai , April 24=20
<P>KEEPING secrets was never more valued in the pharmaceutical industry. A c=
ombination of impending changes in Indian patent laws and the growing import=
ance of intellectual property have pushed some companies to get employees to=
sign confidentiality agreements.=20
<P>Confidentiality agreements have not been limited to employees. Companies=20=
no longer use recruitment as a way to buy another firm's confidential inform=
ation. For instance, Orchid Chemicals, which researches new drugs, does not=20=
expect a potential recruit to disclose specific details of research carried=20=
out in the course of the existing job.=20
<P>"We don't want knowledge transplantation. As a company we are more intere=
sted in skills and competence," said Dr C.B. Rao, Deputy Managing Director,=20=
Orchid.=20
<P>The growing respect for intellectual property in general could be traced=20=
especially to the last three to five years, said Mr Sri Mosur, Vice Presiden=
t-Global Strategic Business Development, Austin Chemical Company.=20
<P>The US-based Austin had helped Indian companies like Shasun Chemicals to=20=
find business opportunities overseas.=20
<P>Mr Sri Mosur said the expected tightening in the Indian patent laws by th=
e year-end, and the realisation that intellectual property was of greater va=
lue than the final product had contributed to the growing respect for intell=
ectual property.=20
<P>"Indian companies will realise that cost effectiveness is not just by low=
cost manpower alone, but technological innovation which needs to be guarded=
as they tread the path of globalisation," said Mr Sri Mosur.=20
<P>Industry sources said though some companies discouraged the practice of g=
etting confidential information from scientists who changed jobs, the entire=
industry did not follow a standard. Loosely, companies that carried out lot=
s of research and collaborated with overseas companies tended to respect dat=
a secrecy.=20
<P>Despite differences in the standard, industry hands from companies that e=
nforced confidentiality agreements said the legal system protected them.=20
<P>For instance, if another company came out with a product that suggested t=
rade secrets had been stolen, the aggrieved party could approach the courts.=
=20
<P>Some industry observers, however, are unsure about the extent of the lega=
l system's influence in nudging the industry to respect intellectual propert=
y. Mr Balaji K., Program Manager of Asia Pacific Life Sciences Practice at F=
rost & Sullivan, felt laws and the legal system might not provide enough=
protection. "Is it really strong?=20
<P>Is it (a verdict) possible within a definite time-frame?" he questioned.=20
<P>While hurdles exist, the move towards data protection could only grow, fe=
lt industry sources.</P></BODY></HTML>
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