Novartis Loses Patent Battle In India

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with a patent ruling that may affect millions.

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INSKEEP: The ruling comes from the supreme court of India, a country with a population somewhere north of a billion. The Indian supreme court rejected patent rights claimed by the pharmaceutical giant Novartis. This ruling opens the door for Indian drug makers to produce generic versions of Novartis' lifesaving cancer drugs and will make the medicine more affordable for people in developing nations. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.