Pfizer Wins Right to Challenge Patent on Roche’s Rituxan

Pfizer Inc. will get a chance to invalidate a patent covering blockbuster drug Rituxan, sold by Roche Holding AG subsidiary Genentech Inc. in collaboration with Biogen Inc.

A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent review board granted Pfizer’s request to launch a challenge to U.S. Patent No. 9,296,821, which is held by Biogen. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board allowed proceedings, called inter partes review (IPR), because Pfizer had shown a reasonable likelihood of being able to demonstrate at least one patent claim isn’t valid. That’s the standard PTAB uses to decide whether to grant an IPR.

Roche is ...