Novartis AG goes to India's Supreme Court on Wednesday to seek patent protection for its blockbuster cancer drug Glivec in a case that could deliver far-reaching ramifications for multinational pharmaceutical companies operating in India....
Novartis's critics, including Médecins Sans Frontières [Doctors Without Borders], say that if the company prevails, it could set a legal precedent that allows pharmaceutical giants to patent a range of drugs in India that are now available from generic producers, including HIV medicines. That would demolish a thriving low-cost industry and lead to higher prices, not just in India, they say, but elsewhere in the developing world where India is a major exporter of drugs.
