[EXCLUSIVE] Celltrion files suits against Genentech for Herceptin, Rituxan patents
[THE INVESTOR] Korean pharmaceutical firm Celltrion has filed two lawsuits challenging the validity of Genentech’s patents for its blockbuster therapies Herceptin and Rituxan as the Korean company seeks to launch its biosimilar versions in the US.
The suits were filed on Jan. 11 in a California district court seeking declaratory judgment that 38 patents relating to Genentech’s breast cancer therapy Herceptin and 37 patents relating to lymphoma treatment Rituxan are non-infringing and invalid.
The move came as Celltrion is awaiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to market the company’s two biosimilar products -- Herzuma, a copycat of Herceptin and Truxima, the biosimilar of Rituxan.
“Genentech has rested on a complex series of patents from two dozen patent families. As Celltrion has already demonstrated to Genentech, these allegations are wrong and the panoply of vague allegations are simply intended to interfere with Celltrion and Teva’s entry into the market,” read the complaint.
Genentech joined the Roche pharmaceutical group in 2009.
By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)