Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MUSCAT495
2008-07-01 11:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

OMANI MINISTRY URGES U.S. PHARMA COMPANIES TO

Tags:  ETRD KIPR ECON MU 
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VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMS #0495 1831133
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011133Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9760
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
UNCLAS MUSCAT 000495 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EEB/TPP/MTA/IPC
STATE PASS USTR FOR JBUNTIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR ECON MU
SUBJECT: OMANI MINISTRY URGES U.S. PHARMA COMPANIES TO
APPLY FOR PATENTS

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000495

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EEB/TPP/MTA/IPC
STATE PASS USTR FOR JBUNTIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KIPR ECON MU
SUBJECT: OMANI MINISTRY URGES U.S. PHARMA COMPANIES TO
APPLY FOR PATENTS


1. On June 30, Econoff met with Dr. Batool Jaffer Suleiman,
Director of Rational Drug Use, Ministry of Health, to discuss
the government's recent purchase of Indian generic product
Bortenat, produced by Natco Pharmaceuticals, instead of
U.S.-patented Velcade, produced by Johnson and Johnson.
Suleiman prefaced the conversation by noting that U.S.
pharmaceutical companies are required to apply for patent
protection of their products in Oman either with Oman's
patent office located in the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry or the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Patent
Office based in Riyadh. (Note: Oman's patent office is not
capable of processing patent applications at this point. It
will only date stamp applications for delivery to the GCC's
patent office. End Note.) Since the GCC office only opened
in 1998, Sulieman reaffirmed her commitment to register those
U.S. products in the Omani market which were patented in the
U.S. prior to that time. For those U.S. products patented in
the U.S. after 1998, she requested that the company produce
proof of applying for the patent in order to register them in
Oman.


2. On the specific case of Velcade, Econoff pointed out that
the product's patent number was issued before the opening of
the GCC patent office, to which Suleiman agreed. Suleiman
explained that she followed-up with the hospital responsible
for purchasing the generic product, which reported that the
purchase was made on behalf of one patient who was on the
medication in India before being transferred to Muscat. No
other purchases were made.


3. On a separate note, Suleiman reiterated Oman's interest in
partnering with a multinational producer to manufacture
patented pharmaceuticals in Oman. She explained that while
there are only two companies in Oman which currently produce
generic products, the regional demand was there to produce
name-brand products locally.



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