In a case that was billed as profits versus patients, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition in which Roche sought to prevent a generic drugmaker from selling a lower-cost version of a pricey rare disease medication.

The decision came after a lower court earlier this month upheld a ruling that it would be in the public interest to allow Natco Pharma to sell a version of Evrysdi for about $179 a bottle. By comparison, Roche charges $6,982 for its drug, which is used to combat spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that causes certain muscles to become weak and waste away. One severe form of the disease can lead to death by age 2 if left untreated.

Currently, more than 5,000 people in India are living with the disease and about 3,200 children are born each year with the condi

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