News Summary: India court to rule on generic drugs

JUDGEMENT DAY: A legal ruling by India's Supreme Court expected in early 2013 will determine whether India's drug companies can continue to provide cheap versions of many life-saving medicines.

THE DETAILS: The 6-year-old case — involving Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG's cancer drug Glivec — pits aid groups that argue India plays a vital role as the pharmacy to the poor against drug companies that insist they need strong patents to make drug development profitable.

BIG SAVINGS: India's $26 billion generics industry is able to sell medicine for as little as one-tenth the price of the companies that developed them, making India the second-largest source of medicines distributed by UNICEF in its global programs.