BRIEF⁠—7th Circuit declines to review Humira 'patent thicket' claims

A Seventh Circuit panel on Monday refused to revive landmark private antitrust claims from Humira (adalimumab) buyers accusing pharmaceutical firm AbbVie of using a "patent thicket" to illegally shield the blockbuster immunosuppressant from competition, ruling that there's nothing wrong with AbbVie's high volume of patents, LAW360 reported.

The alleged Humira “patent thicket” includes over 130 patents (resulting from about 250 patent applications) covering the adalimumab molecule and other aspects of the technology such as formulations and manufacturing methods.

Humira is one of the most successful medicines ever in terms of sales, generating revenues of $20.69 billion in 2021 for AbbVie.