⚖️ Supreme Court Dismisses Roche’s Plea Against Natco Pharma Over Risdiplam Generic

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed Roche’s plea for an injunction, citing public interest and the need for affordable access to Risdiplam. Roche’s branded version Evrysdi costs around ₹6 lakh per bottle, while Natco’s generic version is priced at just ₹15,900, a 97% price reduction. Natco also announced further discounts for eligible patients under its patient access programme. 🔹 Supreme Court Observation: The apex court took note of the concurrent findings of both the single judge and division bench of the Delhi High Court and found no grounds to entertain Roche’s challenge at the interim stage. According to Natco’s statement, this marks Roche’s final challenge at this stage, and the trial will now proceed as per law. 🔹 Legal Representation: Natco Pharma was represented by senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Gopal Subramanium, and J. Sai Deepak, instructed by S. Majumdar & Co. and KMNP Law. 🔹 Industry Impact: The verdict is expected to improve access to life-saving SMA treatments in India, where options remain limited and unaffordable for many families. Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): A rare genetic disorder causing the degeneration of motor neurons, leading to severe physical disability and often death in infants. Natco’s affordable generic version offers new hope for Indian patients battling SMA. 🔹 Roche’s Response: Roche expressed disappointment with the ruling, emphasizing that strong IP protection is vital for fostering innovation and discovery in India. “For India to emerge as a global life sciences hub, it must protect and enforce IP integrity — balancing innovation with access,” the company said. #SupremeCourt #NatcoPharma #Roche #Risdiplam #SMA #GenericDrugs #AffordableHealthcare #IndianPharma #PatentDispute #Evrysdi #HealthcareAccess #PharmaNews #KapilSibal #GopalSubramanium #JaiSaiDeepak