Novo Nordisk, Baxter clash over hemophilia drug patent
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Novo Nordisk on Wednesday rejected claims by Baxter International that its drug used substances developed by the U.S. rival, following the launch this week of a U.S. investigation into possible patent infringement.
Baxter said in March Novo Nordisk's newly launched hemophilia treatment called Novoeight infringed some of its patents, prompting an investigation from the U.S. International Trade Commision (ITC), announced on Monday.
Baxter had asked the ITC to issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders, which would take Novoeight out of the market. The ITC said it was investigating the group of drugs Novoeight is part of, recombinant factor VIII products.
"Novo Nordisk strongly disagrees and has asked the court to intervene to settle the dispute," Novo Nordisk said in an email to Reuters on Wednesday, referring to a separate case it had launched against Baxter in the District Court of New Jersey.
The drug was still on the market, the Danish company said.
Following Baxter's allegations in March, Novo Nordisk filed a 'declaratory judgment complaint' at the New Jersey court accusing Baxter of making "baseless allegations".
Novoeight plays an important role in the Danish company's plans to expand its hemophilia business alongside its chief area of diabetes care, analysts have said.
Sydbank analyst Soren Lontoft Hansen estimates the product will reach peak sales of 3-4 billion Danish crowns ($447-596 million) per year within the next eight to 10 years
reuters.com
