New Delhi: The division bench of the Delhi High Court has allowed Ahmedabad-based Intas Pharmaceuticals to make and sell its anti-cancer drug under the name Bevatas rejecting objections from Sun Pharma Laboratories, which markets its drug under the name Bevetex.Setting aside its single judge order that barred Intas Pharmaceuticals from selling its cancer medication under the name Bevatas for being similar to Sun Pharma's Bevetex, a division bench (DB) of Justices Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora and V. Kameswar Rao said that the two drugs sold under the marks Bevatas and Bevetex, though broadly falling within the category of anti-cancer pharmaceutical preparations, are distinct and dissimilar in composition, therapeutic purpose, indication, dosage and mode of administration, and are admittedly not therapeutic substitutes of each other. The two drugs are, therefore, not identical goods or even closely similar goods, it held.Also Read: FDA approval puts Wockhardt’s Zaynich in $9 billion antibiotics marketThe court held that the prefix 'Bev' and 'Beva' are 'publici juris' for anti-cancer drugs containing the molecule 'Bevacizumab'. "The rival marks, when compared as a whole, are neither visually, structurally nor phonetically similar, and thus Intas' mark does not constitute infringement of Sun Pharma's registered trademark. The suit filed by Sun Pharma was not in public interest and was pursued solely to protect its commercial interest in its mark 'Bevetex,' the judgment stated, adding that the single judge failed to carry out an evidence-based assessment of Sun Pharma Laboratories' allegation of deceptive similarity and likelihood of confusion on part of the public, it said.
Delhi HC allows Intas to sell cancer drug Bevatas, sets aside order favouring Sun Pharma
The Delhi High Court division bench has ruled in favor of Intas Pharmaceuticals, allowing the company to introduce its anti-cancer medication, Bevatas, to the market. This decision overturns a previous block on the drug, affirming the court's view that Bevatas and Sun Pharma's Bevetex are sufficiently different in their ingredients and intended use.
Delhi HC allowed Intas to sell cancer drug Bevatas, ruling it's distinct from Sun Pharma's Bevetex in composition, indication, and mode of administration. The decision establishes that generic Bevacizumab-prefix marks face evidence-based similarity tests, not blanket IP protection—a precedent for any regulated-market trademark defense.














