Kerala HC allows breast cancer patient to be impleaded in case on 'exorbitant’ prices of medicines
The Kerala High Court has allowed a breast cancer patient to join a legal case regarding the high cost of the medication Ribociclib. The court is investigating whether a cheaper alternative, Palbociclib, is a viable substitute for patients.
Why it matters
This case addresses the critical intersection of patent law, pharmaceutical pricing, and patient access to life-saving treatments.
The Kerala High Court has allowed a breast cancer patient from Malappuram to be impleaded in a petition considering the issue of the ‘exorbitant’ price of ‘life-saving’ breast cancer medication, Ribociclib.
The petition was initially filed by another patient diagnosed with HR Positive HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer. She was taking Ribociclib for her condition, but had passed away while the case was pending before court. Her petition sought directives to the government to take over the medication’s patent and make it available at the lowest price possible. The court had then taken up the matter suo motu , considering the larger public interest.
Justice Harishankar V. Menon found that since the current person was also suffering from breast cancer and taking Ribociclib, she could be added as a party to the case.
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