Himalaya Drug Company has received two patents of the total 26 patents filed in India and US. For certain innovations, it has filed for PCT patents, which have global applicability.

Most of the patents filed so far are in the lifestyle related disorders segment and cancer. Himalaya Drug has also applied for patents for its advances made in the herbal cosmeceutical space and the recent patent it received for the natural ester cinnabloc used in its protective sunscreen lotion is from this product range.

Patent application is an ongoing process, as research forms the core of Himalaya's pharmaceutical growth and development. Patents are filed as and when new and significant molecules are discovered. Though holding a patent boosts the research strength of a company, the focus of our research is not patent-driven. Our emphasis is on quality research that will enable us to launch products that positively impact healthcare. For over 70 years we have been engaged in research to discover new molecules, Dr S K Mitra, executive director of R&D, Himalaya Global Holdings, told Pharmabiz.

For a company in the herbal healthcare space, patents add greater credibility to our research and are helpful when approaching both doctors and consumers, he added.

Himalaya's focus is on scientific research and exhaustive clinical trials have been the company's driving force. Receiving a patent is like the 'icing on the cake' so to speak. It is exciting, as it seems like a reward to those exhaustive hours of painstaking and at times, frustrating, research. Recognition in the form of a patent is always welcome.

Securing a patent, be it from US or India takes around two to three years. Getting it is a long-drawn process as it involves exhaustive documentation and close scrutiny of the application.

On the challenges for companies in the herbal sector to seek a patent, Dr Mitra stated that research would usually lead to the discovery of a particular plant substance useful in the treatment of a particular ailment. However, this natural substance cannot be patented on its own. It has to be converted into an equally effective molecule of a truly unique nature to merit even a patent filing.

As there are scores of companies and institutions globally, involved in herbal research, it is always a race to the finishing line. The only success formula for an herbal healthcare company is investing time and resources in painstaking research. This has proved to be true for Himalaya where its blockbuster drug Liv 52 is still a winner in its category after over 50 years of it being launched and its discovery at a time when the patent process in the pharma sector did not exist, informed Dr Mitra.