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Samsung Bioepis wins patent suit against AbbVie in U.K. over Humira

Collected: 2017.03.07

Distributed: 2017.03.09

Source: Go Direct

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Samsung Bioepis Co., a biotechnology research and development unit of South Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung Group, has won a patent suit against U.S. biotechnology drugmaker AbbVie Inc. in the U.K. over Humira (adalimumab), the reference drug of its biosimilar SB5, brightening prospect for the launch of its medicine in Europe.

According to the firm Sunday, the U.K. High Court of Justice ruled in favor of Samsung Bioepis and its partner Biogen Inc. on Friday, invalidating AbbVie’s two patents for Humira’s indications pertaining to rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which will expire in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

The basic patent for Humira was initially set to expire in Europe in 2018, but AbbVie filed the new patents in an attempt to block the market entry of biosimilars, low-cost replications.

Samsung Bioepis stood up against the U.S. drugmaker’s move by filing a lawsuit against the firm in the U.K. in March last year to request nullification of a number of its additional patents on Humira.

"We welcome the court’s judgment. At Samsung Bioepis, we remain committed to driving positive change in the healthcare system through the development of affordable, high-quality biosimilars," the company said in a statement.

Sales of Humira, which is the top selling drug, reached $14 billion in 2015, representing 61 percent of AbbVie’s total revenue.

By Shin Chan-ok

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