Patently discreet

Once bitten, twice shy. Faced with a recent defeat in the Supreme Court over the patentability of its anti-cancer medicine Glivec, Novartis Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Ranjit Shahani has become extra cautious. Addressing a media round table recently in New Delhi to discuss intellectual property rights-related issues, the otherwise candid Shahani ducked almost all questions on Glivec's patent. "After all this, I would not want to attract contempt of court!" he explained.