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Court sides with Amgen in Sandoz’ challenge over patent on Enbrel

pharmafile | August 12, 2019 | News story | Sales and Marketing Enbrel, IP, Novartis Amgen, court, patent, pharma 

A US court has sided with Amgen in a legal battle over the patent on blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel.

US District Judge Claire Cecchi in Newark, New Jersey, upheld two patents on Amgen’s Enbrel on Friday 9 August.

The decision comes after a challenge from Swiss multinational Novartis which is seeking to launch a generic version of the drug.

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Novartis’ generics unit Sandoz claimed the patents covering Enbrel’s active ingredients until 2029 should not have been granted because their concepts were already covered in previous patents.

The decision was a relief to investors who pushed Amgen shares up by 6% on closing. Enbrel generated $4.8 billion in sales last year.  

Amgen CEO Robert Bradway commented: “protecting intellectual property is critical to incentivise innovation and the large investments in R&D that are required to bring new medicines to patients and fully develop their therapeutic potential.”

Carol Lynch, president of Sandoz US and head of North America, commented: “Sandoz respectfully disagrees with the Court’s ruling, which prevents us from launching an additional treatment option for patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.”

Louis Goss

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