Indian High Court upholds B-MS' patent for cancer drug Sprycel

14 July 2015

The Delhi High Court of India has upheld the patent of US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibs (NYSE: BMY) for Sprycel (dasatinib), reports The Economic Times of India.

The ruling dashes the hopes of a local company to sell a generic version of the cancer drug and provides some relief to multinational drugmakers who are up in arms against India's patent laws, the newspaper commented.

Justice Manmohan of the high court rejected Mumbai-based BDR Pharmaceuticals plea, which challenged the patent citing a provision in the Indian Patent Act that disallows evergreening of drugs. Evergreening is a practice by which holders of patents that are nearing expiry try to extend royalties, through steps such as taking new patents.

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