Amgen Wins Appeals Court Ruling Upholding Patents on Enbrel (3)

Amgen Inc. won an appeals court ruling that would block a biosimilar of its top-selling rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel by Novartis AG’s Sandoz until 2029.

Two patents on the drug were upheld Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Sandoz, which is seeking to sell a copycat version that it calls Erelzi, had argued that the patents shouldn’t have been issued.

Enbrel, which is heavily promoted in ads featuring pro golfer Phil Mickelson, generated more than $5 billion in sales last year, 22% of Amgen’s revenue. It’s been on the market since 1998, and ...