UK Judge denies AstraZeneca/MedImmune patent rights
The High Court this week ruled that Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) subsidiary MedImmune’s two patents on screening techniques used in drugs including Swiss pharma companies Roche (ROG: SIX) and Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) wet age-related macular degeneration Lucentis (ranibizumab) treatment were invalid, clearing the way for both companies to produce the drug without paying royalties to MedImmune, the Financial Times reported.
A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca told The Pharma Letter that, in January 2009, MedImmune informed Novartis that the importation, manufacture, marketing and distribution of Lucentis in Europe infringed the firm’s patents. MedImmune offered to discuss a licensing agreement, but MedImmune and Novartis have not been able to agree the terms of a commercially acceptable license, she said.
MedImmune to appeal ruling
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