J&J Patent on Zytiga Is Ruled Invalid by U.S. Appeals Court (1)

Johnson & Johnson and partner BTG Plc lost an appeals court ruling that invalidated their patent on the blockbuster drug Zytiga, opening the door to generic-drug competition to the prostate-cancer treatment.

The companies had been counting on the patent to block Zytiga copies until August 2027 from generic-drug companies including Mylan NV, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. and Wockhard Ltd. that claimed the patent was an obvious variation of old ideas.

The ruling shows how the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit determines whether patent claims are obvious in light of a combination of prior art and examines interpretation ...