26/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting organised by MEPs Anne Ferreira (French Socialist), Dorette Corbey (Social Democrat, NL) and Caroline Lucus (Greens, UK), Ellen't Hoen presented the petition launched by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to convince the Swiss laboratory, Novartis, to drop the legal proceedings opened in India with a view to cancelling a provision of Indian legislation that allows a patent to be refused for a medicine when it is simply a reformulation of an earlier medicine. In the case in hand, Novartis hoped to gain protection for its anti-cancer drug, Glivec. MSF fears that this action will in future prevent the production of generic medicines in India, a country considered as the pharmacy of the Third World. The Swiss laboratory, which is also the leading world manufacturer of generic medicines through its affiliate, Sandoz, aims to defend itself against competition from Indian generic medicine manufacturers. Novartis distributes Glivec free of charge in India. (oj)