The US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has ruled in Eli Lilly and Company's favour regarding the vitamin dosage regimen patent for Alimta (pemetrexed for injection). In the case of Eli Lilly and Company v. Teva Parenteral Medicines, the court ruled the vitamin dosage regimen patent is valid and enforceable. The patent provides intellectual property protection for Alimta until 2022. Alimta's compound patent remains in force through early 2017.
"We are pleased with the District Court's ruling on Alimta's vitamin dosage regimen patent and are confident that the patent is valid and enforceable," said Michael J. Harrington, senior vice president and general counsel for Lilly. "The significant scientific research that Lilly performed in support of the vitamin dosage regimen patent deserves intellectual property protection. We continue to emphasise that protection of intellectual property rights is extremely important to the biopharmaceutical industry and the patients we serve. These rights provide assurances of market exclusivity that help support the development of the next generation of innovative medicines to treat unmet medical needs."