Vectura Group plc UK court ruling in GSK v Sandoz passing off case

TIDMVEC

Vectura Group plc

04 October 2019

UK court dismisses GSK's claims of passing off in respect of Sandoz's AirFluSal(R) Forspiro(R)

Chippenham, UK - 4 October 2019: Vectura Group plc (LSE: VEC) ("Vectura" or "the Group") announces that the English High Court* has dismissed all of GSK's claims of passing off in respect of Sandoz's AirFluSal(R) Forspiro(R).

This action is one of a number of actions brought throughout Europe by GSK against Sandoz, directed towards the sale and distribution by Sandoz of AirFluSal(R) Forspiro(R), none of which to date have been ultimately been successful.

Forspiro(R) is a proprietary dry powder inhaler developed by Vectura and licensed to Sandoz for use with the AirFluSal(R) product.

*Glaxo Wellcome UK Limited & Another v Sandoz Limited & Others [2019] EWHC 2545 (Ch)

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For more information, please contact:

Vectura Group plc

   David Ginivan - VP Corporate Communications                 [phone] 
   Elizabeth Knowles - VP Investor Relations                           [phone] 

Consilium Strategic Communications

   Mary-Jane Elliott / Sue Stuart / David Daley                        [phone] 

Background:

Seretide(R) is a combination of two active ingredients which act in different ways to make it easier to breathe: fluticasone (an anti-inflammatory steroid medicine that reduces inflammation and mucus secretion in the lungs) and salmeterol (a long-acting bronchodilator that relaxes the muscles in the lungs). Seretide(R) is sold by GSK in the UK in two product forms: a disc inhaler sold under the brand name Seretide(R) Accuhaler(R) and a metered dose inhaler, sold under the brand names Seretide(R) and Evolhaler(R). Both the GSK products are coloured two shades of purple.

On 20(th) November 2015 Sandoz launched a branded generic competitor to Seretide(R) Accuhaler(R) under the trademark AirFluSal Forspiro(R). Forspiro(R) is a proprietary dry powder inhaler developed by Vectura. AirFluSal Fospiro(R) is largely coloured a shade of purple and is sold in packaging featuring a shade of purple.

GSK launched a legal action which claimed that Sandoz passed off AirFluSal Forspiro(R) as being connected in the course of trade with GSK and/or as being equivalent to Seretide(R) Accuhaler(R) through its get up and packaging. Vectura were joined to the action during the course of proceedings and are indemnified by Sandoz.

About Vectura

Vectura is a provider of innovative inhaled drug delivery solutions that enable partners to bring their medicines to patients. With differentiated proprietary technology and pharmaceutical development expertise, Vectura is one of the few companies globally with the device, formulation and development capabilities to deliver a broad range of complex inhaled therapies.

Vectura has ten key inhaled and eleven non-inhaled products marketed by partners with global royalty streams, and a diverse partnered portfolio of drugs in clinical development. Our partners include Hikma, Novartis, Sandoz (a division of Novartis AG), Mundipharma, Kyorin, GSK, Bayer, Chiesi, Almirall, and Tianjin KingYork.

For further information, please visit Vectura's website at www.vectura.com

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October 04, 2019 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)