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Lawyer of the Cancer Patients Aid Association, Anand Grover (R), shows a package of Indian-made cancer drug during a press conference in New Delhi, India, 01 April 2013. Photo by EPA/BG NES
India's top court has rejected the legal bid by Swiss company Novartis to patent a new version of its cancer drug, Glivec, in a major boost to cheap life-saving drugs.
Indian authorities denied the firm's plea on the grounds that the updated version was only slightly different from the previous one.
Novartis said the Supreme Court's ruling "discourages future innovation".
"This ruling is a setback for patients that will hinder medical progress for diseases without effective treatment options," Ranjit Shahani, vice-chairman and managing director of Novartis India, commented, as cited by BBC.
But healthcare campaigners have welcomed the ruling.
"The ruling will save a lot of lives across the developing world," said aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
Glivec, which is used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia and other cancers, costs about USD 2,600 a month.
The generic equivalent is currently available in India for just USD 175.
The decision is seen as a major boost for generic drugmakers in India who supply cheap medicines to poor people across the developing world.
"Patents will be given only for genuine inventions, and repetitive patents will not be given for minor tweaks to an existing drug,'' Pratibha Singh, a lawyer for the Indian generic drug manufacturer Cipla, told BBC.
According to her the ruling sets a precedent that would prevent international pharmaceutical companies from obtaining fresh patents in India on updated versions of existing drugs.
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