Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Clears Way For Cheaper Version Of J&J's Blockbuster Arthritis Drug
The Associated Press: Judge Invalidates Patent For Johnson & Johnson Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug
A cheaper version of Johnson & Johnson's top-selling drug, the expensive rheumatoid arthritis treatment Remicade, could be available in the United States two years early after a federal judge ruled that a key patent on the drug is invalid. Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it planned to appeal a summary judgment issued by the District of Massachusetts federal court in a high-stakes patent fight with rival drugmaker Pfizer Inc. The appeal process could take a year or more, Johnson & Johnson said. (Johnson, 8/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Court Says Pfizer’s Biosimilar Of J&J’s Remicade Doesn’t Infringe Patent
Pfizer Inc.’s lower-priced version of Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster autoimmune disease drug Remicade doesn’t infringe a patent, a federal court ruled on Wednesday, potentially clearing the way for the drug’s sale in October. J&J said it would appeal the decision and affirmed its sales projections. Remicade, first approved for sale in the U.S. in 1998, is J&J’s largest product by sales, accounting for $6.56 billion in sales last year, including $4.5 billion in the U.S. The drug’s two lead indications are inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis and associated indications. (Armental, 8/17)
