Zydus prevails in Lialda patent appeal

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed judgment in favor of Indian drugmaker Zydus Cadila’s US subsidiary holding that its proposed generic version of Lialda(mesalamine) does not infringe US Patent No 6,773,720.

Lialda, from Ireland-headquartered Shire (LSE: SHP), is indicated for the induction of remission of active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis and for the maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects approximately 700,000 people in the United States.

Speaking on the development, Pankaj Patel, chairman and managing director, Zydus Cadila, said: “We welcome this decision which is a positive step and will help us further our mission of making available high-quality, affordable generic products to our customers and their patients.”