A federal judge ruled that AbbVie didn't break antitrust laws by settling patent lawsuits regarding its blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Humira, STAT reported.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against AbbVie last year alleging the drugmaker used patent thickets and colluded with other biosimilar drugmakers to maintain a monopoly for Humira by delaying a lower-cost biosimilar version from entering the market.
The lawsuit alleged that AbbVie settled patent lawsuits with other drugmakers, including Pfizer and Amgen, "solely to insulate Humira from any biosimilar competition in the US for years to come."
The drugmaker has more than 100 patents for Humira.
But a judge ruled June 8 that AbbVie didn't break antitrust laws and is therefore "immunized" from antitrust liability, STAT reported.
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