[Ip-health] PTI: CPAA sends defamation notice to Novartis

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      CPAA sends defamation notice to Novartis

PTI [ TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2007 06:10:14 PM]
                NEW DELHI: Mumbai-based social group Cancer Patient Aids As=
sociation (CPAA) has sent a defamation notice to Swiss pharmaceutical giant=
 Novartis AG chairman and CEO Daniel Vasella and demanded half a million do=
llars in damages.

CPAA's chairman Y K Sapru has alleged Vasella made "certain defamatory stat=
ements and insinuations" in an article titled 'Novartis persists with chall=
enge to Indian patent law despite adversity' that was picked up by differen=
t websites.

In the article, Vasella had said generic companies were often behind (the a=
ctivism of) patients' groups in India and he would not be surprised if they=
 gave money to the groups.

"It (the article) represents that generic companies paid to us to oppose MN=
C pharma companies in India," CPAA said.

The group, which is involved in a case against Novartis in Madras High Cour=
t over the pharma giant's challenge of India's patent law, contended that V=
asella's statement was defamatory and CPAA never took money from any generi=
c firm.

"This is false and per se defamatory," CPAA said in the notice and added th=
e article had put the group "in an extremely embarrassing position".

CPAA further asked the MNC to retract from its statement and "to issue an u=
nconditional apology over company's website and on the Intellectual Propert=
y Watch".

It has also warned the company to face civil or criminal proceedings in cas=
e of non-completion.

Novartis has challenged the government's patent law in the Madras High Cour=
t over its cancer drug Glivec. The company was earlier denied a patent by t=
he Chennai-based patent office in January 2006.



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