(Reuters)—A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that invalidated a crucial Johnson & Johnson patent on its blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Remicade (infliximab), limiting J&J’s ability to seek damages from Pfizer Inc. over its launch of a lower-cost version of the drug.
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a ruling by a U.S. administrative court that a J&J patent covering the active ingredient in Remicade was invalid because it was based on an obvious concept.