India's Supreme Court has rejected a patent bid by Swiss drug maker Novartis for a cancer drug.
In a landmark ruling Monday, the court dismissed patent protection to an updated version of the drug Glivec.
The ruling is a precedent that prevents international pharmaceutical companies from obtaining fresh patents in India on updated versions of existing drugs.
India's law prevents companies from seeking patents for making only slight modifications to an existing drug.
The Supreme Court decided Monday the updated Glivec did not satisfy the "novelty" aspect required by Indian patent law.
The ruling is a victory for India's multi-billion-dollar generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world.
Novartis has been fighting since 2006 to win a patent for the amended form of Glivec.