Amgen had filed a suit in federal court in Delaware against Sanofi and Regeneron, which both acknowledged they had infringed on seven patent claims.
After the federal judge dismissed the defendant's claim that the patents were invalid, the jury found in Amgen's favor regarding two patents. Those patents describe and claim the human monoclonal antibody, Repatha (evolocumab).
"We are thankful that the jury weighed the evidence carefully and recognized the validity of Amgen's patents on Repatha, our innovative biologic molecule that reduces LDL cholesterol," Amgen Chairman and CEO Robert A. Bradway, said.
Repatha binds to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). This inhibits PCSK9 from binding to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors (LDLR). This process allows the liver to clear LDL from the blood and lowers the LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. High levels of LDL-C are implicated in the development of heart disease.
Two studies on Repatha are underway. The GLAGOV trial is evaluating the effect of Repatha on coronary artherosclerosis while the FOURIER trial is comparing whether Repatha combined with statin therapy works better than a placebo plus statin therapy to reduce the risk of heart attacks. The study results are expected later this year.
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