Novartis' imatinib patent battle resumes in Indian Supreme Court

The controversial Novartis case in which the Swiss major Novartis (NOVN: VX) challenged the manner in which Section 3(d) of India's Patents Act is applied is now the subject of hearings at the Indian Supreme Court.

The case dates back to 1998 when Novartis applied for a patent on the now blockbuster anti-cancer drug Glivec/Gleevec (imatinib mesylate), which last year generated global sales of $4.27 billion, which was rejected by the Chennai Patent Office on the basis of Section 3d in 2006. The case was further delayed in 2007 (The Pharma Letters passim).

Novartis filed the case in the Supreme Court in 2009, against the interpretation of efficacy by the Madras High Court and Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), reports the Indian PharmaBiz news service.