Sanofi has chance to restore exclusive rights on insulin glargine in Russia

French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) appears to have the opportunity to restore exclusive rights on insulin glargine in Russia as the Russian Intellectual Property Court has overturned a lower court decision to revoke Sanofi's patent for the drug, trade name Lantus, on the basis of a judicial claim submitted for the Russian drugmaker Geropharm a while ago, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

At present diabetes treatment insulin glargine remains one of the most expensive drugs in Russia. With regard to Geropharm, the company produces its own generic drug under the Ringlar brand name

Until 2017, Sanofi held a patent for Lantus drug, with insulin glargine being an active ingredient in it, while later the French company launched a drug with the same active ingredient though long-acting, but under a different brand – Toujeo. The novelty of the invention, however, has been challenged by Geropharm, as, according to its representatives, Toujeo differs from Lantus only by a larger dosage of the active ingredient.