29 October 2014Americas

Mylan defeated by The Medicines Company in patent lawsuit

A US court has ruled that pharmaceutical company Mylan infringed a patent owned by The Medicines Company covering a product used to inhibit blood clots.

The Medicines Company, based in New Jersey, had opposed Mylan's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a proposed drug that it said infringed its patent for Angiomax (bivalirudin).

In its response, filed in 2011, Mylan argued that several of The Medicines Company’s patent claims, which centred on US patent number 7,582,727, were invalid.

But, in a decision issued on Monday (October 27), the US District Court for Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division rejected Mylan's claims on the grounds that it failed to provide "clear and convincing" evidence.

In a statement, Clive Meanwell, chairman and chief executive at The Medicines Company, said it was “highly satisfied” with the court’s ruling.

He added that it “supports our ongoing conviction to defend these patents vigorously”.

Mylan’s ANDA sought approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commercially manufacture, use or sell a generic version of Angiomax before the ‘727 patent expired, in 2028.

The court’s ruling now prevents Mylan from obtaining FDA approval to produce a generic before the ’727 patent expires in 2028.

Angiomax, an injectable drug, was approved by the FDA in 2000 to be used in conjunction with aspirin for patients undergoing heart surgery.

According to Reuters, Angiomax accounted for 87% of the total revenue reported by The Medicines Company for the quarter ending September 2014.

Mylan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.