PhRMA fumes as Lilly loses in patent row with Canada

22 March 2017

Having not only lost out on damages worth C$500 million ($374 million), US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) faces a bill of around C$5 million due to a lost legal fight with the Canadian government.

The case came about following claims made by Lilly that Canada’s patentability requirements had an overly-high standard of what was considered ‘useful’, causing it to lose patent cases relating to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Strattera (atomoxetine) and the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder treatment Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Lilly alleged that the interpretation given to this term by the Canadian courts, and therefore the termination of its drug patents, violated the country’s obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK