Plavix Patent Upheld
A federal judge in Manhattan today upheld a patent on the blood thinner Plavix.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein said Plavix’s maker, Sanofi-Aventis, was entitled to an injunction barring a competitor’s generic version of the drug for four years, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Apotex Inc. had sought to invalidate the Plavix patent, arguing it was anticipated in an earlier patent filing.
Plavix is marketed by Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
On June 11, Bristol-Myers agreed to pay a $1 million fine for making false statements to the Federal Trade Commission about a former executive’s discussions with Apotex about a proposed settlement of the case.
The executive’s remarks were intended to lead Apotex to conclude that Bristol-Myers would refrain from launching a generic version of the drug if the parties reached a revised settlement, according to a Justice Department press release.
The fine resolves an antitrust investigation.
