Drug maker Novartis loses India patent battle

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FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 file photo, a pharmacist works in a lab where medicines are being produced at a Cipla manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. A lawyer for healthcare activists says India's Supreme Court has rejected drug maker Novartis AG' right to patent a new version of a lifesaving cancer drug. The landmark ruling today is a victory for India's (Canadian) $26 billion generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world. Novartis has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 for a fresh patent for its cancer drug Glivec. Cipla makes a generic version of Glivec. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)NEW DELHI (AP) — India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent an updated version of a cancer drug in a landmark decision that health activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines.

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