Astellas Pharma Inc. lost a ruling that canceled a patent for its overactive-bladder treatment Myrbetriq, potentially opening the door to generic versions of the drug’s extended-release formulation nearly six years before the patent’s expiration.
Judge Joseph F. Bataillon wrote that Astellas’ “zealous defense has conceded more fundamental ground,” rendering US Patent No. 10,842,780 invalid, according an opinion issued June 9 in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.
The decision marked a victory for Novartis AG’s Sandoz, Lupin Ltd., and Zydus Lifesciences Ltd.—the three generic-drug makers remaining from a group Astellas sued in November 2020 alleging ...
