The Madras High Court has adjourned the hearing on the Gleevec patent case to September 13, 2006.

The case came up for hearing before the single bench of the Madras High Court, today.

As reported, on May 19, 2006 Novartis had filed seven cases against the Government of India, the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), a 35 year old cancer patients group, and other generic companies in the High Court of Madras challenging the rejection of the patent application for Gleevec. Novartis also challenged section 3(d) of the Patents (Amendment Act), 2005. Novartis' 1998 application for a patent on imatinib myselate was opposed by CPAA and later rejected by the Chennai patent office on January 25, 2006.

Meanwhile, cancer patient groups and NGOs numbering over 50 demonstrated before the Novartis office in Mumbai, today, demanding withdrawal of the cases. The protestors also gave a memorandum demanding the same to the Novartis management.