WEEKLY NEWS - OCTOBER 08, 2007
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Court backs Indian government proposal on Glivec
Managing Intellectual Property
The High Court of Chennai has today agreed to consider removing the controversial technical member of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board that is hearing Novartis’ appeal over the patentability of Glivec.
The move is the latest stage in a long-running dispute between the Swiss pharmaceutical company and the Indian authorities over the cancer-treating drug.
In June, Novartis objected to the presence of S Chandrasekaran on the Board. Chandrasekaran was head of the patent office when Novartis’s Glivec patent was rejected. He also submitted documents when the case was being heard at the Madras High Court.
The Board rejected Novartis’s objection on July 21, and the company subsequently appealed to the Court.
The Indian government has suggested a revised approach consisting of a chairman and a vice-chairman. The Court has invited written comments from both sides and will reconvene on October 22 to make a final decision.
