Business

Dr Reddy's loses patent case with Eli Lilly over Alimta

Updated : June 25, 2018 06:24 AM IST

The court held that the Alimta (pemetrexed for injection) vitamin regimen patent would be infringed by the competitor that had stated its intent to market alternative salt forms of pemetrexed prior to the patent's expiration in May 2022.

In a separate decision on June 15, the District Court also ruled in favor of Lilly in the case of Eli Lilly and Company versus Hospira, Inc.

In October 2017, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled in the company's favour regarding patentability of the vitamin regimen for Alimta.

Dr Reddy's loses patent case with Eli Lilly over Alimta

Dr Reddys Laboratories Limited has lost a legal battle with Eli Lilly and Company in a patent litigation on Alimta (pemetrexed for injection), a drug used for treatment of various types of cancer, in USA.

The US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana ruled in favor of Lilly, a release from the US drug maker said.

"We are pleased with today's (June 22) District Court ruling finding the Alimta vitamin regimen patent would be infringed by the competitor's proposed products," Michael J. Harrington, Lilly's senior vice-president and general counsel, said reacting to the courts judgement.

He also said Lilly's extensive research to discover the "Alimta vitamin regimen patent deserved intellectual property protection."

In a separate decision on June 15, the District Court also ruled in favor of Lilly in the case of Eli Lilly and Company versus Hospira, Inc.

These rulings mean Dr.Reddy's Laboratories and Hospira will be prevented from launching their alternative salt forms of the pemetrexed until the patent expires.

In October 2017, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled in the company's favour regarding patentability of the vitamin regimen for Alimta.

According to the annual report 2017 of Eli Lilly, Alimta clocked $ 2.06 billion worldwide including $ 1.03 billion in USA.

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