drug patent in landmark Indian India, the world’s biggest provider of cheap medicines

drug patent in landmark Indian cancer drug patent Novartis denied cancer drug patent in landmark Indian case Indian supreme court has refused to allow one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies to patent a new version of a cancer drug, a decision campaigners hailed as a major step forward in enabling poor people to access medicines in the developing world.

Specifically, the decision allows Indian makers of generic drugs to continue making copycat versions of the drug Gleevec, which is made by Novartis. It is spelled Glivec in Europe and elsewhere. The drug provides such effective treatment for some forms of leukemia that the Food and Drug Administration approved the medicine in the United States in 2001 in record time. 

The ruling will also help India maintain its role as the world’s most important provider of inexpensive medicines, which is critical in the global fight against deadly diseases. Gleevec, for example, can cost as much as $70,000 a year, while Indian generic versions cost about $2,500 a year.

In the United States, companies can get a new patent for a drug by altering its formula or changing its dosage. The companies contend that even minor improvements in medicines — changing a pill dosage to once a day instead of twice a day — can have a significant impact on patient wellness. But critics say a majority of drug patents given in the United States are for tiny changes that often provide patients few meaningful benefits but allow drug companies to continue charging high prices for years beyond the original patent life.

But Novartis said the decision "discourages future innovation in India". Ranjit Shahani, the firm's vice-chairman and managing director in India, said the ruling was "a setback for patients that will hinder medical progress for diseases without effective treatment options".

The statement will come as a good news for Indian government which had come under attack from Big Pharma, although it maintained that the decision was in line with the Indian patents law and was aimed at checking "evergreening" and keeping drug price affordable. Data shows that the MNCs may be making unnecessary noise as Novartis alone had received close to 150 patents in India, while Roche topped the list of medicine patents that add up to over 160