Idenix brings Gilead patent battle to Europe
Massachusetts-based Idenix Pharmaceuticals has filed patent infringement cases against Gilead Sciences and its European subsidiaries in France, Germany and the UK.
In its filing on March 14, it argued that Gilead infringes its European patent EP 1 523 489, which covers nucleosides for treating the hepatitis C virus, and said it is seeking remedies with respect to Gilead’s marketing and sales of drugs that contain sofosbuvir, which it believes infringes the patent.
The European cases are the latest developments in Idenix’s battle with Gilead. In December 2013, it filed suits against the biotechnology company at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the US District Court for the District of Delaware, seeking to keep Gilead from selling any drugs containing sofosbuvir.
Five days after the US cases were filed, Gilead launched its hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, which has sofosbuvir as its active ingredient. Although it only launched on December 6, 2013, its worldwide sales had reached $136 million by the end of the year.
Analysts have predicted it will replace Lipitor as the world’s biggest selling drug.
Speaking on Friday, Maria Stahl, senior vice president and general counsel at Idenix, said: “We are pleased to have been granted this European patent, and today’s filings further confirm Idenix’s conviction in the strength of our intellectual property portfolio and the resolve we have to protect it.
“Idenix has invested significant resources in nucleoside drug discovery and in building a valuable intellectual property portfolio – and we will continue to vigorously defend it. These proceedings, along with the US infringement actions we filed in December, are part of a concerted effort to safeguard these technologies.”
Gilead did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Also in December, the US Patent and Trademark Office declared a second patent interference between one of Idenix’s patents and a Gilead patent application, both of which relate to nucleoside compounds for the treatment of hepatitis C infection.
