New Delhi: The Supreme Court dismissed a plea by the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday for a patent on its cancer drug Glivec, paving way for more affordable life saving cancer drugs. Novartis had sought to overturn a clause in Indian Patents Law that restricts patent protection for newer forms of existing molecules, and the ruling could set a precedent for how other similar patent claims are treated.
The case started in 1997 when Novartis filed a plea for a patent for Glivec. Following is the timeline of the patent case in India:
1997: Novartis filed a patent application in India for its drug Glivec.
2005: India introduced the Indian Patent Act preventing frivolous patents.
January 2006: The Patent Controller in Chennai denied Novartis a patent.
May 2006: Novartis challenged the Indian government and four other companies in the Madras High Court.
August 2007: The Madras High Court ruled against Novartis's case.
June 2009: The Intellectual Property Appellate Board rejected a fresh appeal.
August 2009: Novartis approached the Supreme Court of India.
September 2012: Hearing began in the Supreme Court.
April 2013: The Supreme Court rejected Novartis's plea.
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