US Court rules in favor of Sanofi and Regeneron in ongoing Praluent patent litigation

French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) and partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: REGN) yesterday announced that the US District Court for the District of Delaware ruled in their favor and found as a matter of law that US biotech firm Amgen’s (Nasdaq: AMGN) asserted patent claims for antibodies targeting PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) are invalid based on lack of enablement.

This decision overturns portions of a jury verdict reached in February that upheld the validity of three of five claims asserted by Amgen on two of its US patents for its PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha (evolocumab). Sanofi and Regeneron market the rival PCSK9 inhibitor Praluent (alirocumab). This means that Sanofi and Regeneron have successfully invalidated all five asserted Amgen patent claims, said Sanofi.

Regeneron’s shares closed up 2.21% at $287.64 in US trading on Wednesday, while Sanofi’s stock was up 1.08% at 78.32 euros in early Paris activity today.