India has foiled a British Company’s bid to patent use of turmeric, pine bark and green tea for treating hair loss and succeeded in protecting its traditional knowledge. “India once again has been successful in protecting its traditional knowledge by preventing an attempt made by Europe’s leading dermaceutical laboratory — Pangaea Laboratories Limited, to take patent on a medicinal composition containing turmeric, pine bark and green tea for treating hair loss,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology said.
In February, 2011 the UK based company Pangaea Laboratories Limited had filed patent application at European Patent office on a medicinal composition containing turmeric, pine bark and green tea for treating hair loss. Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), headed by Dr. Archana Sharma located the patent application filed at European Patent office by Pangaea Laboratories Limited and filed pre-grant opposition along with prior-art evidences from TKDL, proving that turmeric, pine bark and green tea, are being used as a treatment for hair loss, since long in Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Unani. CSIR-TKDL Unit had filed evidences from TKDL on January 13, 2014, pursuant to which the patent application is finally deemed to be withdrawn by the applicant on June 29, 2015. Till date CSIR-TKDL Unit has achieved success in about 200 such cases without any cost.
Beside this, CSIR-TKDL Unit has foiled an attempt of M/S Colgate-Palmolive Company to patent a mouthwash formula containing herb (Nutmeg-Jayaphal) extract used in Indian traditional systems of medicine to cure oral diseases, at European Patent office.
