Novartis continue to go forward with its Petition

A Division Bench at the Chennai High Court will be hearing Novartis petition today. In its petition, Novartis challenged --- 1. the constitutional validity of the section 3(d) of the Patents Act which considerably restricts grant of patents to existing drugs with improved therapeutic efficacy, and 2. a decision of the Indian Patent Office to refuse grant of patent to Novartis patent application for crystalline form of Imatinib Mesylate. Novartis continue to go forward with its petition despite growing pressure from NGOs and public health groups across the world and also stated that it wanted the Indian Government to grant patent to its anti-cancer drug Glivec and ensure that Indian laws reflect international standards of patentability.