Court Upholds Shire Patent in Infringement Case Against Actavis

Actavis received a setback in its quest to market a generic version of Lialda following a district court’s decision upholding Shire’s patent covering the ulcerative colitis drug.

Judge Donald Middlebrooks of the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida wrote that Actavis — formerly known as Watson at the start of litigation — infringed two claims of Shire’s ’720 patent, which expires June 8, 2020.

Shire contended the generic version infringed the patent because it featured a tablet structure with a water-resistant material and a more readily dissolved component, which work to delay the release of the active ingredient.