Court rules J&J's patent for autoimmune drug invalid: 6 things to know - Becker's Hospital Review

Court rules J&J’s patent for autoimmune drug invalid: 6 things to know

Johnson & Johnson took a major blow in its ongoing legal battle with rival drug giant Pfizer over a patent for its best-selling autoimmune drug Remicade. A judge for the District of Massachusetts federal court ruled that a key patent for the drug is invalid, allowing cheaper biosimilar versions to enter the market, reports The New York Times.

Here are six things to know:

Remicade — an injected biologic used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis psoriasis and Crohn’s disease — costs at least $1,600 a month without insurance. The drug is Johnson & Johnson’s biggest product, posting $6.6 billion in sales last year.
Celltrion and Pfizer-owned Hospira created a biosimilar version of the drug called Inflectra, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April.
In March 2015, Johnson & Johnson filed a lawsuit against Celltrion and Pfizer, claiming Inflectra infringed upon patent rights for Remicade.
Now that Johnson & Johnson’s key patent for Remicade is invalid, New York-based Pfizer is expected to launch Inflectra in the next few months. The FDA’s approval of the drug allows sales to begin on Oct. 3.
Analysts predict the biosimilar could save patients and insurers around 15 to 30 percent in drug costs.
New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson said it plans to appeal the court’s decision in a process that could take a year or more. The newly invalidated patent would have prevented all biosimilar versions of Remicade from hitting the market until Sep. 2018, reported Reuters.