The Federal Circuit’s August 5, 2021 ruling in GlaxoSmithKline LLC v. Teva Pharm. USA, Inc. (link to issued opinion), is an important development in the law of “skinny” generic pharmaceutical labels and induced infringement claims. See GlaxoSmithKline LLC v. Teva Pharm. USA, Inc., 7 F.4th 1320 (Fed. Cir. 2021) (“GSK II”) (Google Scholar link). Read on for important aspects of the majority’s opinion and Judge Prost’s dissent.
Continue Reading Federal Circuit Issues Second GSK v. Teva Opinion On “Skinny” Label-Based Inducement
ANDAs
Delaware Magistrate Judge: Novel Induced-Infringement Claim Against Health Insurance Provider Survives Dismissal
Last week, Magistrate Judge Jennifer Hall of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware recommended denial of two motions to dismiss and denied a motion to sever in a case involving a novel induced infringement claim against a health insurance provider. See Amarin Pharma, Inc. v. Hikma Pharm. USA Inc., No. 20-1630-RGA-JLH, 2021 WL 3396199 (D. Del. Aug. 3, 2021) (“Amarin R. & R.”) (docket version); Amarin Pharma, Inc. v. Hikma Pharm. USA Inc., No. 20-1630-RGA-JLH, 2021 WL 3363496 (D. Del. Aug. 3, 2021) (“Amarin Mem. Order”) (docket version). The dispute relates to Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC’s (collectively, “Hikma”) generic version of the plaintiffs’ VASCEPA® product (icosapent ethyl). Hikma’s generic product has been on the market since November 2020. See Amarin R. & R., 2021 WL 3396199, at *3. The plaintiffs asserted three patents against Hikma and a health insurance company, Health Net, LLC (“Health Net”). Hikma and Health Net both moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim, and Health Net also moved to sever the claims against it from those against Hikma. Magistrate Judge Hall recommended that the motions to dismiss be denied, and she denied the motion to sever. Id. at *1; Amarin Mem. Order, 2021 WL 3363496, at *1.
Continue Reading Delaware Magistrate Judge: Novel Induced-Infringement Claim Against Health Insurance Provider Survives Dismissal
Orange Book Transparency Act of 2020 Signed Into Law
On January 5, 2021, the Orange Book Transparency Act of 2020, H.R. 1503, was signed into law. H.R. 1503 amends provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) related to patent information that new drug applicants must submit to the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and FDA must publish in the “Orange Book.”[1] See H.R. 1503, 116th Cong. § 2(a)–(d) (2021). The amendments require “manufacturers to share complete and timely patent information with the . . . (FDA), ensure that periods of exclusivity listed in the Orange Book are promptly updated, and clarify that patents found to be invalid through a court decision or a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board would be required to be removed from the Orange Book promptly, but not before time for appeal has expired.” H.R. Rep. No. 116-47, at 3–4 (2019). The amendments also require FDA and the Comptroller General to submit reports to Congress about the types of patents that should and should not be listed in the Orange Book. See H.R. 1503 § 2(e)–(f).
Continue Reading Orange Book Transparency Act of 2020 Signed Into Law
FDA Provides More ANDA Exclusivity Information
By way of background,
Under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, a company can seek FDA approval to market a generic drug before the expiration of patents related to the brand-name drug that the generic seeks to copy. To seek this approval, a
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