Amgen wins patent case
Thousand Oaks-based Amgen had a big win in court on Sept. 20, as a federal court in New Jersey upheld multiple Amgen patents for its psoriasis treatment, Otezla.
Amgen filed a patent infringement lawsuit earlier this year against two companies, Sandoz and Zydus Pharmaceuticals, claiming that their generic versions of Otezla infringed upon at least four of Amgen’s patents. The court found in Amgen’s favor on Sept. 20, according to an Amgen news release.
With this decision, Sandoz and Zydus will be disallowed from making, selling, offering to sell or importing their generic versions until the expiration of Amgen’s Otezla patent, which is set for February 2028.
“Amgen believes in the value of intellectual property and will continue to vigorously defend its intellectual property rights,” the company said in a news release.
The court did rule against Amgen on claims regarding another patent, covering methods of treating psoriasis with apremilast according to a specific dosing schedule, Amgen said.
In the U.S., Otezla is approved for treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. It is one of Amgen’s most profitable treatments, responsible for $2.2 billion in sales during fiscal year 2020. In Amgen’s latest fiscal quarter, Otezla made $453 million, a 5% drop year-over-year.
