Indian court puts off Novartis patent hearing to Sept. 11

India's top court won't start the big Novartis ($NVS) patent argument today as scheduled. In just the latest delay in the closely watched case, the hearing was postponed to Sept. 11. If Novartis succeeds in winning Indian patent protection for its cancer drug Glivec, Big Pharma will be reassured about its future in emerging markets. But that decision would leave Indian drugmakers and access-to-medicine advocates worry that Western-style IP rules will interfere with their work. Report