The government issued a presidential decree on Sunday to bring its patent laws into compliance with commitments under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said.Although details of the decree were not available, it signals a breakthrough in patent reform, which had been stalled by political concerns that reforms would result in higher drug prices.The ruling Congress-led coalition has been under pressure from its powerful communist allies, who want adequate safeguards in the amended patent laws to ensure that prices of medicines would remain stable.The Left and other political parties fear that firms holding product patents for life-saving drugs will increase prices once the new laws come into force.The government had been scheduled to introduce legislation on changing patent laws in the just-concluded winter session of Parliament but could not do so due to differences with its communist allies. Nath did not elaborate but said he would hold a news conference on Monday to announce the details. —Reuters
