BRIEF—AstraZeneca safeguards Farxiga patent in US ruling

British drugmaker AstraZeneca has successfully defended an important patent for its diabetes med Farxiga (dapagliflozin), in litigation with India’s Zydus Cadila.

Zydus, accused of infringing the patent, conceded the point early on in the trial, focusing instead on the validity of the patent itself.

While Zadila had argued that the patent covers an obvious variation to an existing idea, a judge in Delaware, USA, ruled that the firm had not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate this.

In a statement to The Pharma Letter, AstraZeneca said it was “pleased with the court’s decision,” adding: “The company maintains full confidence in the strength of its intellectual property protecting Farxiga.”

Analysts have forecast that sales of the product could exceed $4 billion by 2025.