Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Jury Rules In Favor Of Amgen In Cholesterol Drug Patent Dispute
The Wall Street Journal: Amgen’s Patents On Cholesterol Drug Declared Valid By Jury
A jury declared valid two Amgen Inc. patents linked to the company’s recently approved cholesterol-lowering drug, delivering a setback to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi, makers of a rival drug. Regeneron and Sanofi, in a prepared statement, said they “strongly disagree” with the verdict by the Delaware jury and that they plan to appeal. (Stynes, 3/16)
Bloomberg: Amgen Bests Regeneron In Patent Fight Over Cholesterol Drugs
Amgen Inc. won a legal victory over Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in an intellectual property battle over their cholesterol-reducing drugs. Regeneron said it would appeal the decision. A federal jury in Wilmington, Delaware, rejected Regeneron’s challenges and ruled in Amgen’s favor that two of its patents on its drug, Repatha, were valid, according to a statement Wednesday from Regeneron and its partner Sanofi. Amgen rose less than 1 percent to $143.97 at 3:32 p.m. in New York. Regeneron rose less than 1 percent to $369.04. (Bloombfield and Milford, 3/16)
Reuters: UK Cost Agency Rejects Amgen's Virus-Based Cancer Drug
A first-in-class melanoma drug from Amgen based on a tumor-killing virus has been deemed not worth using on Britain's state health service by the country's cost-effectiveness agency NICE. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said on Wednesday there was not enough evidence to be able to say whether Imlygic, also known as talimogene laherparepvec or "T-Vec", was as clinically effective as other drugs for the deadly skin cancer. (3/16)
