Novartis AG convinced a federal judge to dismiss counterclaims by two generic-drug makers seeking judgments that would have allowed them to make copies of Entresto, Novartis’ blockbuster heart-failure drug, more than 10 years before the expiration of three patents.
Judge Richard G. Andrews, in an opinion issued Tuesday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, granted Novartis’ request, holding that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over counterclaims by Hetero Labs Ltd. and Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. The companies sought judgments that the patents either shouldn’t have been issued or aren’t infringed.
