Once the scourge of the developing world, infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS can now be fought with cheap drugs. But as people in poorer nations live longer and adopt Western habits, non-communicable diseases succh as heart disease, diabetes and cancer have become the main killers - and paying for their treatment has become a thorny problem. India may now be drawing a line in the sand. In the past three weeks, officials there have refused patents on two breast cancer drugs - the latest in a series of decisions to limit patents on pricey brand-name medications. These moves reflect a tension: India now surpasses the United States in terms of annual cancer deaths, and wants to find ways to treat the disease cheaply. But this desire runs counter to the goals of drug makers, who see middle-income nations as central to their growth plans.
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