Big Win for Our Side

Novartis denied cancer drug patent in landmark Indian case

The 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.
Novartis lost a six-year legal battle after the court ruled that small changes and improvements to the drug Glivec did not amount to innovation deserving of a patent. The ruling opens the way for generic companies in India to manufacture and sell cheap copies of the drug in the developing world and has implications for HIV and other modern drugs too.
Campaigners were jubilant. A ruling in favour of Novartis would have reduced access to the drug for the poor, said Jennifer Cohn, of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). She added: "The fact that India says patents are to reward innovation as opposed to small changes does stay true to the concept of what a patent should be."

I am jubilant too..  Funny what happens when health of their people is a real concern of  a society.