Novartis India will continue to file for patents

Novartis India Limited, a unit of Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG, would continue to file for patents in India, its vice chairman Ranjit Shahani said, after the Supreme court rejected its plea for patent protection of its drug Glivec. Addressing reporters at a news conference in Mumbai on Monday Shahani also said that Novartis India would continue to invest cautiously in India. Shahani also said that Novartis India is disappointed with the decision. Meanwhile, lawyer and United Nations Special Rapporteur on health, Anand Grover said that the verdict would provide a scope for generic drug companies, helping them sustain in the Indian market.