Delhi High Court Restrains Pharma Firm from Using Marks Similar To Mankind Pharma's 'Kind' Brand

The Delhi High Court has recently restrained De Harbien Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., a pharmaceutical company, from using the marks “NEFROKIND” and “SILOKIND.” The Court found these marks deceptively similar to Mankind Pharma Limited's well-known trademarks “MANKIND,” “KIND,” and other “KIND” formative marks.A Single Bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the ex-parte ad-interim injunction on November 7, 2025, in a case filed by Mankind Pharma. The company had sought protection for its registered trademarks used on pharmaceutical products.Mankind Pharma said it has been using the “MANKIND” mark since 1986 and owns several related trademarks such as “NUROKIND,” “SIVOKIND,” and “PILOKIND.” The company's “MANKIND” mark was officially recognized as a well-known trademark in December 2020. Its products are sold across India through pharmacies, e-commerce platforms, and its own website, which uses domain names that include the “MANKIND” or “KIND” name. In September 2025, Mankind Pharma discovered that De Harbien Life Sciences was selling pharmaceutical products under the names “NEFROKIND” and “SILOKIND.” These products were being marketed on the company's website and other online platforms. Mankind pointed out that De Harbien's earlier trademark applications for these names had already been rejected, yet the company again applied to register “NEFROKIND.”After sending a cease-and-desist notice in September 2025, Mankind said De Harbien refused to stop using the marks, claiming they had been created independently.The court noted that Mankind Pharma owns several registered “KIND” related trademarks and that the “MANKIND” mark has earned a strong reputation and goodwill in the pharmaceutical industry. It observed that De Harbien's use of “NEFROKIND” and “SILOKIND” copies the entire “KIND” element and resembles Mankind's existing product names.The court held that this use was likely intended to benefit from Mankind Pharma's goodwill and could mislead consumers into believing that De Harbien's products were associated with Mankind. “The Defendant is using the impugned mark on identical goods in the same line of business, whilst catering to the same class of consumers as the Plaintiff. Consequently, there is inevitably going to be a likelihood of confusion, and an unwary customer with average intelligence and imperfect recollection will associate the Defendant's impugned product with the Plaintiff's products.”, the court said. Finding that Mankind Pharma had made a prima facie case, the court ruled that the balance of convenience was in its favour. It said that allowing De Harbien to continue using the marks could cause consumer confusion and irreparable harm to Mankind's brand. As a result, the Court restrained De Harbien Life Sciences and its associates from using “NEFROKIND,” “SILOKIND,” or any other mark identical or deceptively similar to Mankind Pharma's trademarks.The matter will next be listed on April 10, 2026. Case Title : Mankind Pharma Limited v. De Harbien Life Sciences Private LimitedCitation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 1466 Case Number: CS(COMM) 1185/2025 For the Plaintiff: Senior Advocate Chander Lall with Advocates Ankur Sangal, Ankit Arvind, Nidhi Pathak, Rishabh Rao and Annanya Mehan Click Here To Read/Download The Order

Delhi High Court Restrains Pharma Firm from Using Marks Similar To Mankind Pharma's 'Kind' Brand

Ayushi Shukla

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