Novartis unlikely to appeal Indian patent order

NEW DELHI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Swiss drug giant Novartis (NOVN.VX) said on Monday it was unlikely to appeal against an Indian court's order rejecting its challenge to Indian law that denies patents for minor improvements to known drugs.

The court in the southern city of Chennai rejected the challenge saying it had no jurisdiction on whether Indian patent laws complied with intellectual property rules set by the WTO, as Novartis had questioned.

"We disagree with this ruling however we likely will not appeal to the Supreme Court," a Novartis spokeswoman said by phone from Basel in Switzerland.

((Reporting by Jonathan Allen, writing by Y.P. Rajesh; Reuters Messaging: jonathan.allen.reuters.com@reuters.net; +91-11-4178-1000)) Keywords: INDIA NOVARTIS/APPEAL

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