Vanda Loses Ruling on Hetlioz Sleep-Disorder Drug Copies (3)

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. lost its fight to prevent Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. and Apotex Inc. from copying Hetlioz, a drug used to treat non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, as a federal judge canceled four of Vanda’s patents.

Judge Colm F. Connolly said that the Hetlioz copies don’t infringe one of the patents, but he also invalidated it for covering an obvious invention, according to an opinion issued Tuesday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The other three patents also were also voided for obviousness.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Teva’s copy on Monday, according to the ...