On 18 June 2020, Birss J gave a judgment (see here) setting out his reasoning for granting a stay of the final injunction in favour of Edwards Life Sciences Ltd (“Edwards”) pending appeal, on the condition that Edwards gave undertakings to limit its supply of PASCAL to no more than 2 hospitals for the purpose … Read more
On 19 June 2020, LJJ Floyd, Males and Arnold dismissed the appeal brought by Neurim Pharmaceuticals (1991) Limited (Neurim) and Flynn Pharma Limited (Flynn) that sought to overturn the High Court’s decision refusing an interim injunction against Generics UK Ltd (t/a Mylan) and Mylan UK Healthcare Limited (Mylan), concerning their generic prolonged release melatonin product. … Read more
CJEU rules that providing free samples of non-prescription drugs to pharmacists is permitted On 11 June, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU“) ruled on the question of whether free samples to pharmacists of medicines may be supplied by pharmaceutical companies to pharmacists. The German Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof) had referred questions regarding … Read more
The Supreme Court has handed down today its judgment in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc v Kymab Ltd [2020] UKSC 27, allowing Kymab’s appeal and holding Regeneron’s patents invalid for insufficiency by a majority of 4:1. The judgment emphasises the fundamental principle of the patent bargain, which envisages that the patentee makes full disclosure of the invention … Read more
Teva UK Ltd v Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA [2020] EWHC 1311 (Pat), 2 June 2020 Summary After having been pressed by the defendant pharmaceutical company, Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA (“Chiesi”), to disclose a product description in a patent revocation action brought by Teva UK Ltd (“Teva”), Teva applied to strike out Chiesi’s counterclaim for quia timet infringement. … Read more
Neurim Pharmaceuticals (1991) Limited (Neurim) and Flynn Pharma Limited (Flynn) sought interim injunctive relief against Generics UK Ltd (t/a Mylan) and Mylan UK Healthcare Limited (Mylan), concerning their prolonged release melatonin pharmaceutical formulation sold under the brand names Circadin® and Slenyto®. The global market for melatonin is estimated to be around US$700 million in 2019 … Read more
Responding to a question referred to it by the EPO’s President, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office has issued its opinion in relation to what was perhaps the most controversial referral of 2019. In a complete reversal of its opinion of just five years ago, the EPO has held that plants … Read more
In this article we review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the procedure of, and approach taken by the judiciary in, the patent courts of England & Wales, Germany, France, Italy, and at the EPO. Read more
Key recent developments in the United Kingdom and Europe relating to patents and the pharmaceutical sector In this update we welcome our new IP partner in Germany. We have a number of interesting updates from the UK Court of Appeal, including a decision on Arrow declarations, a competition decision, an appeal relating to the lapse of an … Read more
