Daiichi Sankyo UK patent dispute ‘solved’

Daiichi Sankyo has announced that objections raised over its right to market levofloxacin in the UK have been dismissed in court.

Generics UK (GUK) submitted an application for permission to argue the firm’s rights to manufacture products containing the drug to the court of appeal.

However, this request was refused and Daiichi Sankyo’s supplementary protection certificate for the use of levofloxacin was deemed to be valid by the UK courts.

This brings to an end any disputes between the two firms and questions regarding Daiichi Sankyo’s rights to market it in the country.

The firm has granted Sanofi-aventis an exclusive license to manufacture and market pharmaceutical products containing levofloxacin in the UK under the trade name Tavanic.

Meanwhile, last week Daiichi Sankyo announced that its cholesterol-lowering drug Welchol was granted approval by the Food and Drug Administration for use in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients.