US Supreme Court rebuffs Novartis bid to revive MS drug Gilenya patent

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp's bid to revive a key patent on its blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya that was invalidated amid a legal dispute with China's HEC Pharm Co Ltd.

The justices turned away an appeal by Novartis of a lower court's decision to cancel the patent, a ruling that paved the way for some generic versions of Gilenya.

(Reporting by Blake Brittainl Editing by Will Dunham)