Genentech Loses Patent Trial Over Sandoz’s Generic Esbriet (1)

Sandoz Inc.’s generic version of Genentech Inc.’s Esbriet, a treatment for a lung disease, doesn’t infringe several patents covering the drug, a Delaware federal judge ruled following a bench trial.

Judge Richard Andrews in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware also found parts of certain patents are invalid because they cover an obvious invention.

Esbriet is approved to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an irreversible lung disease that results in scarring of the lungs, makes breathing difficult, and prevents vital organs from receiving enough oxygen to work properly.

Genentech and InterMune, units of Roche Holdings AG, ...