India’s government on Monday authorized a drug manufacturer to make and sell a generic copy of a patented Bayer cancer drug, saying that Bayer charged a price that was unaffordable to most of the nation. The decision by the controller general of patents, designs and trademarks was the first time a so-called compulsory license of a patented drug had been granted in India. Legal specialists and patient advocates said it could open the door to a flood of other compulsory licenses in India and possibly in other developing countries, creating a new supply of cheap generic drugs…[A] spokesman for Bayer at its headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany, said the company was disappointed by the decision and was “evaluating our legal options to continue to defend our intellectual property.” [also refers to Natco Pharma, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Novartis]