On February 23, 2025, Celltrion announced that the European Commission (“EC”) approved its tocilizumab biosimilar, AVTOZMA® (CT-P47), referencing Roche’s ROACTEMRA®. Tocilizumab is a monoclonal antibody that acts as an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor to reduce inflammation in the body. The EC approved AVTOZMA® for all indications of the reference product, including moderate…
On February 12, 2024, Chugai, Genentech, and Hoffmann-La Roche filed a motion for voluntary dismissal of their appeals of the PTAB’s Final Written Decisions in IPR2022-00578 and IPR2022-00579. The appeals concerned IPRs filed by Celltrion where the PTAB found all challenged claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,580,264 and 10,874,677 were…
As we previously reported, in July 2023 Genentech, Inc., Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc., and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (collectively, “Genentech”) filed BPCIA litigation against Biogen MA Inc. and Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd. in the District of Massachusetts, asserting that Biogen sought FDA approval “to commercialize ‘BIIB800,’ a proposed biosimilar to Genentech’s drug Actemra®…
On August 29, 2023, the PTAB issued final written decisions in IPR2022-00578 and IPR2022-00579, filed by Celltrion on two patents related to tocilizumab — U.S. Patent Nos. 8,580,264 and 10,874,677, owned by Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisa, Genentech, Inc, and Hoffmann La Roche, Inc. The ’264 patent claims are directed to…
Yesterday, Genentech, Inc., Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc., and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Genentech”) filed BPCIA litigation against Biogen MA Inc. and Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd. in the District of Massachusetts. In its Complaint, Genentech asserts that Biogen is seeking FDA approval “to commercialize ‘BIIB800,’ a proposed biosimilar to Genentech’s drug Actemra® (tocilizumab).” Genentech…
The U.S. Patent Trials & Appeals Board (Board) recently issued an Order granting Celltrion’s motion to submit supplemental information in its IPR (2022-00578) against U.S. Pat. No. 8,580,264, owned by Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisa, Genentech, Inc, and Hoffmann La Roche, Inc. As we previously reported, this is one of two…
On August 31, 2022, the PTAB instituted two inter partes reviews of Chugai and Roche’s tocilizumab patents challenged by Celltrion, adding to the growing list of IPRs instituted against the tocilizumab patent estate. We have been tracking the IPRs instituted against tocilizumab-related patents (see our last post, PTAB Institutes Sixth…
Last week, the PTAB instituted inter partes review of two Chugai patents directed to methods of treating rheumatoid arthritis with a combination of tocilizumab and methotrexate. Fresenius filed petitions for inter partes review on U.S. Patent Nos. 7,521,052 (“the ’052 patent”) and 10,744,201 (“the ’201 patent”) on June 28, 2021. …
On August 18, 2021, Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC and Fresenius Kabi SwissBioSim GmbH (collectively, “Fresenius”) filed Petitions for Inter Partes Review of U.S. Patent No. 10,874,677 (IPR 2021-01336) and U.S. No. 5,80,264 (IPR 2021-01288) . The ‘264 patent claims are directed to methods of treating rheumatoid arthritis patients using a…