Indian court rejects Novartis patent challenge

An Indian court has rejected a challenge by Swiss drug firm Novartis to Indian law that denies patents for minor improvements to known drugs.

An Indian court rejected on Monday a challenge by Swiss drug firm Novartis to Indian law that denied patents for minor improvements to known drugs.

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The court in the southern city of Chennai rejected the challenge saying it had no jurisdiction on whether Indian patent laws complied with intellectual property rules set by the WTO, as Novartis had questioned.

A Novartis spokesman could not be reached for comment immediately.

Novartis has said that the Indian patent system stifles innovation. Critics of Novartis say changes to the law would affect the supply of affordable anti-AIDS drugs from India, one of the biggest makers of generic drugs.