India's commerce secretary, G K Pillai, called the seizure of the blood pressue medicine a ". . . concerted move by MNCs to disrupt the growth of Indian generic industry." This is the second such seizure in the Netherlands in three months.

India has taken up the matter with the European Commission (EC) and has written to them, says Pillai, but India is likely to go further. Pillai says "we may have to take the issue to the WTO and challenge it...we would be seeking consultation with the EU." India will seek the support of the developing nations on the issue, Pillai says. Pillai's reference to "consultation" is the required first step in the process of bringing the matter to the WTO Dispute Settlement Panel.

India's 12-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry gets 40 per cent of its revenue from exports of generic drugs across the world, of which a large part goes to the EU and the US markets. However, it constantly comes under fire from large pharma companies in this region in the name of patent infringement.

While Pillai called the seizure "an act of piracy by the European Union," drug manufacturers like DuPont see it as a matter of protecting their dwindling profits.

The drug patent exceptions from the 1994 WTO Uruguay Round appear destined to result in continuing disputes.