(Updates with response from a Novartis spokesperson in the fourth and fifth paragraphs.)
Novartis (NVS) defeated a bid by Accord Healthcare to invalidate its Entresto patent, with a UK court ruling that the patent and a related protection certificate remain valid, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The court also ruled that Accord's planned generic version of Entresto would infringe Novartis' patent, according to the report.
Novartis' European patent for Entresto expired in 2023, while its supplementary protection certificate runs through 2028, with the drug accounting for about 10% of the company's sales, Reuters reported.
In a statement emailed to, Novartis said the company can confirm that Accord Healthcare commenced proceedings against Novartis concerning certain patent rights protecting Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan). The proceedings relate to a supplementary protection certificate (SPC/GB16/025), which protects the combination of sacubitril and valsartan and is based on European Patent (UK) 1 467 728 B1 and the relevant marketing authorizations for Entresto.
The High Court of England and Wales has now issued its judgment, finding that both the patent and the SPC are valid and that Accord's Entresto generic product would infringe the SPC. The decision is appealable. As a matter of policy, Novartis does not comment further on ongoing litigation, Novartis added.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
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