Lilly Scores Another Court Win for Alimta
Lilly plans to present trial results at scientific meetings and publications this year and in 2016.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) notched another legal victory in protecting the patent of its cancer fighting medication, Alimta. The company announced Friday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in favor of Lilly, confirming that the vitamin regimen used to mitigate side effects of the cancer treatment would be infringed by competitors that had plans to market an alternative salt-form of the treatment.
Lilly’s patent on Alimta holds until May 2022.
According to the Lilly website, Alimta is used as a first treatment to fight non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
"We’re pleased with this decision," said Michael J. Harrington, Lilly’s senior vice president and general counsel. "Lilly’s extensive research to discover this patent deserves intellectual property protection, which has been confirmed in every challenge in the U.S. to date."
In June 2018, a federal district court ruled against Illinois-based pharmaceutical company, Hospira Inc. That company, along with another pharmaceutical company, Dr. Reddy’s, appealed the district court’s decision. Monday’s ruling stems from that lower court’s decision.
In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in the company’s favor regarding patentability. You can read about that court case here.