Vanda Patent Loss on Hetlioz Sleep-Disorder Drug Copies Affirmed

Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. and Apotex Inc. hung onto a victory Wednesday allowing them to release generic versions of a circadian rhythm disorder treatment, as the Federal Circuit affirmed that Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. patents protecting its Hetlioz drug aren’t valid.

Delaware Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly correctly ruled that claims in four Vanda patents are invalid because they cover obvious concepts, Judge Timothy B. Dyk wrote in the opinion. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit panel also agreed that Teva and Apotex’s proposed Hetlioz copies don’t infringe one of the patents that the generic makers had ...