Indian Patent Office rejects Sovaldi patent, paves way for generics
The Indian Patent Office has rejected one of US drug maker Gilead’s patent applications to cover hepatitis C drug Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), in a decision that may decrease the blockbuster’s cost in the country.
Depomed buys suite of Janssen pain drugs for $1bn
California-based pharmaceutical company Depomed has revealed it will acquire the IP rights to Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ painkiller drug Nucynta (tapentadol) for $1.05 billion.
Delhi High Court blocks Onbrez generic
The Delhi High Court has issued a interim injunction stopping Indian generic drug maker Cipla from selling copies of Novartis’s respiratory drug Onbrez (indacaterol) in the country.
Jazz plays on as Xyrem challenges quashed
The US Patent and Trademark Office has rejected several petitions that challenged a patent covering Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ narcolepsy drug Xyrem (sodium oxybate).
AstraZeneca’s Seroquel XR patent claim thrown out in Germany
The Federal Court of Justice of Germany, the country’s highest court, has rejected an appeal from AstraZeneca in which the pharmaceutical company claimed that a patent used in its drug Seroquel XR (quetiapine) is valid.
Federal Circuit resolves fight over 40-year-old patent application
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed a lower court’s decision that manufacturer W L Gore & Associates infringed a patent owned by medical device maker Bard Peripheral Vascular, bringing to an end a dispute that stems from more than 40 years ago.
Counterfeit drug sites stung in MHRA operation
UK regulatory body the Medicines and Healthcare and Products Regulatory Agency has successfully taken down more than 1,600 websites, some of which were selling counterfeit drugs.
Shire agrees NPS Pharma buyout
Biopharmaceutical company Shire has agreed a multi-billion pound deal to buy US business NPS Pharmaceuticals, which operates in the same industry.
Glenmark Pharma celebrates as Abbott patent revoked
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has been handed victory after the Indian Patent Office reversed a ruling that had granted a patent to US company Abbott Biotechnology for its anti-arthritis drug Humira (adalimumab).
Teva and Mylan get green light to launch Novartis generics
Pharmaceutical companies Teva and Mylan have each been granted permission to market a generic version of Novartis’s blood pressure treatment Diovan (valsartan) in the US.
