By Blake Brittain
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Patent Workplace tribunal on Monday rejected challenges to 2 key patents owned by Novo Nordisk protecting the energetic ingredient in its weight-loss and diabetes medicine Wegovy and Ozempic introduced by a generic drugmaker that’s hoping to promote generic variations of the blockbuster drugs.
The workplace’s Patent Trial and Enchantment Board denied the requests by Mylan Prescribed drugs, which is owned by Viatris, to assessment the validity of the Wegovy and Ozempic patents. Mylan had argued that the patents have been apparent primarily based on the anti-diabetes remedy liraglutide and thus needs to be invalidated.
Mylan has additionally challenged a 3rd patent associated to a way of therapy utilizing the medicine. The board’s resolution on whether or not to assessment that patent is due by Friday.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk stated the corporate will “vigorously defend” its mental property. Representatives for Viatris didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Novo’s Wegovy is the primary to market in a brand new class of extremely efficient weight-loss medicine. Its booming gross sales have led some analysts to foretell the weight problems market could possibly be value greater than $100 billion by the top of this decade.
Report income from Wegovy and sort 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – which comprises the identical energetic ingredient, semaglutide – helped Denmark-based Novo develop into Europe’s Most worthy firm in September.
Novo has filed a number of U.S. patent lawsuits in opposition to firms together with Pennsylvania-based Viatris which are searching for to market generic variations of the medicine. Viatris has individually requested a West Virginia federal courtroom to invalidate the patents as a part of the litigation.
(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; extra reporting by Patrick Wingrove in New York; modifying by Will Dunham and David Bario)