Patent Baristas

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider limiting antitrust suits against pharmaceutical companies, computer makers and other patent holders. The justices said they will hear an appeal by Illinois Tool Works Inc., which is trying to block a lawsuit over devices it sells for use in industrial printers. On Jan. 25, 2005, the U.S. Court […]

After just giving a talk this past week on international strategic alliances, I was struck by the recent Forbes article on the increasing number of big pharmaceutical companies increasingly forming alliances with biotech firms. It seems that almost 30% of big pharma’s revenue now comes from products licensed from smaller biotech firms. This shows the […]

Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P. (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) and Synaptech filed suit against Barr Laboratories Inc., for patent infringement relating to Razadyne (galantamine hydrobromide), 4 mg, 8 mg, and 12 mg Tablets, formerly Reminyl. The action was initiated under the Hatch-Waxman Act as an infringement of a patent on the compound that expires […]

Shares of Vicuron Pharmaceuticals increased 79% to an all-time high of $28.21 Thursday after Pfizer agreed to buy the biotechnology company for $1.9 billion, or $29.10 a share in cash (an price 84% premium with a market capitalization of about $1 billion). The trend in Big Pharma seems to be one of buying biotech companies […]

AstraZeneca has been fined £60m (about $73 million) by the European Commission for illegally trying to prevent generic competition to its best-selling ulcer drug Losec. After a six-year investigation, the EC said the firm gave incorrect information about when the drug was first approved, enabling the firm to extend the patent’s life. Losec (omeprazole) is […]

While the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion did not extend the statutory research use exemption to patented research tools under 35 U.S.C. ss.271 (e)(1) in Merck KGaA v. Integra LifeSciences I, Ltd . (2005 WL 1386324 (U.S.)), the Court unanimously ruled for a broader interpretation of the exemption from patent infringement for use of a patented […]

Seth Godin, listed as an author, entrepreneur and agent of change, recently published his thoughts that Small is the New Big. He argues that while big used to matter, small is now where it’s at. [Disclaimer alert: I work for a law firm with 370+ attorneys spread over seven offices] In weaving together a conclusion […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington today upheld an earlier decision that three patents held by Purdue Pharma LP can’t be enforced because of misrepresentations to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office about the painkiller’s effectiveness thus giving Endo Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc. the right to sell a generic version. OxyContin, […]