New Delhi, Jan. 6 -- Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma Ltd has filed a patent revocation suit against innovator Novo Nordisk for its drug semaglutide, the latest salvo in Indian pharma's legal offensives against global drugmakers.

Over the past year, India has witnessed several high-stakes legal battles between domestic generic drug manufacturers and global innovators, reigniting the debate over striking a balance between innovation protection and broader drug accessibility.

Looking ahead to another year of patent challenges, Mint examines who ultimately benefits from these challenges.

New drugs or methods of making them are typically protected by patents under intellectual property (IP) rights. The patent grants the innovator exclusive rig...