BRIEF—Chugai takes legal action against Alexion

Japan-based Chugai Pharmaceutical, which is majority owned by Swiss pharma giant Roche, today announced that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court against US drugmaker Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Shares of Chugai gained 2.1% to 7,770 yen following the announcement.

Chugai alleges that the anti-C5 antibody ALXN1210 (ravulizumab) product, an investigational drug developed by Alexion Pharma Godo Kaisha, infringes some of its Japan patents (Patent No 4954326 and No 6417431) relating to its proprietary antibody engineering technology.

Thus, Chugai filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Alexion requesting a judgment that the ALXN1210 product infringes Chugai’s Japan patent and injunctive relief precluding manufacturing and selling of the ALXN1210, under development as a treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), in Japan.

Just last month, Chugai filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Alexion in the in the US District Court for Delaware also in relation to this patent, to stop the firm from manufacturing and selling the candidate within the USA.