US Court rules Plavix patent valid to 2011

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld a June 2007 decision by the District Court for the Southern District of New York, upholding a patent covering clopidogrel bisulphate, the active ingredient in blockbuster anti-clotting drug Plavix, developed by French drug major Sanofi-Aventis and US firm Bristol-Myers Squibb.

As a result of this ruling, the patent protection for this product is maintained in the USA until November 2011. The two drug majors are seeking damages from Apotex, in reparation of harm caused by the Canadian firm's marketing and sale of an infringing generic version in 2006.

US Plavix sales had reached $3.77 billion in the 12 months to June 2006, and had been expected by analysts to grow to $4.0 billion in full-year 2006.