HIV/AIDS patients around the globe can cheer up on this: as the Mumbai Patent Office has refused to grant a patent application on a crucial medicine by a multinational firm Abbott Laboratories.

This rejection permits low cost generic versions of the medicine to foray in the market, and at the same time continue being exported to nations such as Thailand, Brazil, Ecuador, etc.

The Patent Office denied application for a tablet form of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) on the matter that the product did not meet the Indian patentability requirements.

Abbott representative Scott E Stoffel told news agency DNA that the firm is analyzing the decision and working on its next step.

Experts claim that the firm would appeal the same at Intellectual Property Appellate Board.

LPV/r is tainted to be one of the most important second-line medicines, which is essential especially when HIV/AIDS patients develop confrontation to first-line medicines.

In 2002, Abbott's LPV/r was priced at $3,833 per patient per year. After issues raised by Thailand and Ecuador, the price was pulled down to $1,000 (for developing countries), which still is pricey than the $440-486 per patient per year issued by Indian generic companies.

"India is a key source of low-cost HIV/AIDS medicines, and growing patents in India can directly affect our country," said Andres Ycaza Mantilla, president of Ecuadorian Intellectual Property Institute.