A court case brought by Swiss drugs giant Novartis in India could define how the industry distributes discount medicine to the developing world while maintaining profits... "We are deeply convinced that patents save lives. If the patent law is undermined the way it is happening in India, there will be no more investment into the discovery of lifesaving drugs," said Novartis head of corporate research Paul Herrling. The company has insisted it will continue to offer Gleevec free to patients in India who cannot afford it. Watchdog groups such as Médicins sans Frontières, however, say generic competition has dramatically reduced the cost of Aids drugs. They have launched a petition against Novartis while hundreds of activists protested in the streets of the Indian capital, New Delhi.