DDA organizes Workshop on Public Health Sensitive Patent Provisions in Nepal’s Industrial Property Bill.

Kathmandu,
29^th-30^th August, 2025

               The Department of Drug Administration (DDA), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Nepal, convened a two-day national workshop on Public Health-Sensitive Patent Provisions in Nepal’s Industrial Property Bill. The event brought together key policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to deliberate on the implications of the draft Intellectual Property (IP) Bill for public health and access to medicines.

Opening Session

In his inaugural address, the Honorable Minister for Health and Population, Mr. Pradip Paudel, acknowledged Nepal’s lack of preparedness in the aftermath of its impending graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. He emphasized the urgent need for an Expert Working Group to refine the draft IP Bill, while expressing gratitude to the delegates and organizers for facilitating such a timely discussion. He also expressed hope for more value-driven and purpose-fulling content from the workshop for better and equitable access to medicines and health technologies

Similarly, the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies underlined that the inputs and recommendations from the workshop would significantly enrich the draft bill, ensuring that it adequately balances intellectual property protection with public health needs.

The workshop was chaired by Mr. Narayan Prasad Dhakal, Director General of the Department of Drug Administration, and attended by distinguished participants including Members of Parliament from the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Interest Committee, senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the IP Office, as well as representatives from WHO, Third World Network (TWN), SAWTEE, APPON, NCDA, Nepal Bar Association, Academia, and other relevant institutions.

DG Mr. Dhakal, in his welcome remarks, highlighted the importance of this multi-stakeholder dialogue, expressing confidence that the workshop would yield valuable recommendations to strengthen the IP Bill in favor of national health priorities.

Technical Sessions – Day 1

The first technical session introduced the background of the TRIPS Agreement and its intricate relationship with intellectual property and development, followed by discussions on the implications of LDC graduation. Dr. Manisha Shridhar then presented on patents and access to medicines for public health, while Dr. Avinash Gupta (PhD candidate) examined Nepal’s pharmaceutical sector and its evolving dynamics.

Further sessions included presentations on:

• The Draft IP Bill and its key provisions by representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.
• Patent Evergreening and its impact on access to medicines by Gabriela Costa Chaves.
• Fundamentals of the patent system—standards of patentability, disclosure requirements, duration, and best practices—by Pratibha Sivasubramaniam.

Technical Sessions – Day 2

Day two opened with Ms. Sangeeta Shashikant (TWN) recapping key issues from the first day, including patent evergreening, exclusions from patenting, and the need for robust opposition mechanisms in the draft IP Bill.

This was followed by:

• Sanya Reid Smith presenting on patent exceptions and exclusions.
• K.M. Gopakumar elaborating on compulsory licensing and government-use provisions.
• Discussions on TRIPS enforcement provisions and their implications for local production and access, with reflections on the draft IP Bill by Ms. Shashikant.
• Country experiences from Argentina, Brazil, and India on implementing TRIPS flexibilities, shared by Gabriela Costa Chaves and Mr. Gopakumar.

Closing Session

In her closing remarks, Hon. MP Rama Koirala Poudel noted that the workshop provided crucial insights into patents, the challenges Nepal faces in the post-LDC era, and the provisions required in the draft IP Bill. She assured that the Parliamentary Committee would engage experts for technical input to ensure the bill adequately incorporates public health safeguards. Furthermore, she provided insightful guidance to the Director General of the DDA, recommending the inclusion of an appropriate subject-matter expert in designing the committee.

Concluding the event, DG Dhakal commended the contributions of experts and participants. He stressed that TRIPS flexibilities must be carefully examined for Nepal’s context and that the government must remain committed to leveraging them for the benefit of public health. He pledged to take responsibility for assembling a team of experts to advance the refinement of the IP Bill if deemed necessary by the parliamentary committee.