India hails "historic" Supreme Court drug patent ruling against Novartis
NEW DELHI, April 1 (Reuters) - The Indian government hailed as "historic" a Supreme Court ruling on Monday against a plea by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG to protect the patent on its drug Glivec.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said the ruling -- seen as a victory by health rights campaigners -- reaffirmed provisions in Indian law that mandate the need for substantial innovation before new patents are issued on medicines.
(Reporting By Matthias Williams; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel, editing by Ross Colvin)
NEW DELHI, April 1- The Indian government hailed as "historic" a Supreme Court ruling on Monday against a plea by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG to protect the patent on its drug Glivec.