NLU, Tripura organized a national workshop on access to medicines

The Centre for Intellectual Property Studies (CIPS) at National Law University (NLU), Tripura, in collaboration with the Third World Network (TWN) and with the support of Tripura State Pharmaceutical Price Monitoring & Resource Unit (TPMRU), organized a National Workshop on “Access to Medicines: 20 Years of Product Patent Protection, Challenges and the Way Forward” on November 1^st (Saturday) 2025.

The event also featured the introduction of the “Pharma Sahi Daam” mobile application for participants. The workshop began with the welcome address by Prof. Nachiketa Mittal, Registrar, NLU Tripura, observing that “even life-saving drugs are in the clutches of law,” and emphasizing the importance of legal and policy reforms to ensure affordable healthcare.

Special addresses were delivered by Mr. K.M. Gopakumar from Third World Network and Ms. Kanchan Sinha, former Deputy Drug Controller, government of Tripura. In the technical sessions, Mr. Gargeya Telakapalli (TWN India Trust) discussed the realities of access to medicines in India, highlighting that high medicine costs remain a leading cause of impoverishment.

Mr. Dibakar Paul, Project Coordinator, TPMRU, demonstrated the Pharma Sahi Daam App, guiding participants on checking and comparing medicine prices. Post-lunch sessions featured Ms. Chetali Rao, Senior Researcher, TWN India Trust, who analyzed the legal framework of the TRIPS Agreement and its impact on affordability, followed by Mr. K.M. Gopakumar, who explored the Right to Health and Access to Medicines as a fundamental human right, and discussed global negotiations on the forthcoming Pandemic Treaty. Around 200 students across the law colleges in Tripura participated in the workshop.  The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Bandita Sengupta, Assistant Professor of Law, NLU Tripura.