Genmab A/S, a Danish biopharmaceutical company, reported that the US District Court entered final judgement in favour of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in a patent infringement case involving Arzerra brought against GSK by Genentech and Biogen Idec.

Genentech and Biogen Idec filed the patent infringement lawsuit in Q1 2010 with the US District Court in San Diego, California claiming Arzerra infringed US Patent No 7,682,612 covering methods of treating Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) with anti-CD20 antibodies. GSK denied infringement and claimed the patent was invalid and unenforceable.

The decision in favour of GSK came after the court defined certain terms of the patent claims. Based on this Genentech and Biogen Idec conceded to a judgement in favour of GSK’s counterclaim of non-infringement. Genentech and Biogen Idec will have the option to appeal the decision concerning the interpretation of the patent claims.

Arzerra, Genmab’s anti-CD20 antibody, is partnered with GSK and marketed in the US and Europe for the treatment of fludarabine and alemtuzumab refractory CLL.