Court Says Pfizer's Biosimilar of J&J's Remicade Doesn't Infringe Patent

By Maria Armental 

Pfizer Inc.'s lower-priced version of Johnson & Johnson's blockbuster autoimmune disease drug Remicade doesn't infringe a patent, a federal court ruled on Wednesday, potentially clearing the way for the drug's sale in October.

J&J said it would appeal the decision and affirmed its sales projections.

Remicade, first approved for sale in the U.S. in 1998, is J&J's largest product by sales, accounting for $6.56 billion in sales last year, including $4.5 billion in the U.S. The drug's two lead indications are inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis and associated indications.

The so-called biosimilar to infliximab was developed by South Korea's Celltrion Inc. and is already available in Europe and Canada.

Pfizer acquired rights to sell the so-called biosimilar drug in some markets, including the U.S. and Canada, as part of its Hospira acquisition last year.

U.S. health regulators approved the drug in June, and Pfizer indicated it planned to start selling it in early October, following the required 180-day marketing notice.

Write to Maria Armental at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 17, 2016 18:16 ET (22:16 GMT)

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