The Judgment in Novartis v. India: What the Supreme Court of India Said

Frederick M. Abbott

Intellectual Property Watch, April 4, 2013

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As part of a series of amendments to the India Patents Act that took effect on January 1, 2005, the Parliament of India adopted Section 3(d). This statutory provision has been in force for more than seven years. A challenge brought by Novartis to the constitutionality of the provision and to its compatibility with the WTO TRIPS Agreement (World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) was rejected by the High Court at Madras in 2007. That judgment was not appealed. On 1 April 2013, the Supreme Court of India rendered judgment [pdf] on an appeal by Novartis against rejection by the India Patent Office of a product patent application for a specific compound, the beta crystalline form of imatinib mesylate. Imatinib mesylate is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia and is marketed by Novartis as “Glivec” or “Gleevec”. Affirming the rejection, the Supreme Court confirmed that the beta crystalline form of imatinib mesylate failed the test of Section 3(d). The Court clarified that efficacy as contemplated under Section 3(d) is therapeutic efficacy.