India thwarts British firm’s bid to patent hair loss formula

New Delhi

An attempt made by a Britain-based company to patent a medicinal composition comprising of turmeric, pine bark and green tea for treating hair loss was prevented by India, the science and technology ministry said on Sunday.

Arguing that the composition was long being used in Ayurveda and Unani, the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR-TKDL) challenged the patent application filed at European Patent office by Pangaea Laboratories Limited.

“A pre-grant opposition was filed along with evidences from TKDL, proving that turmeric, pine bark and green tea were being used as a treatment for hair loss in Ayurveda and Unani,” the ministry said.

The Britain-based company had filed the patent application in February, 2011 while CSIR-TKDL registered its opposition in January, 2014 after the patent application was published online following which the patent application was withdrawn on June 29.

Till date, CSIR-TKDL Unit has achieved success in about 200 such cases without any cost.

IANS