QLT Updates on the U.S. Eligard Patent Litigation
Temporary Suspension of Eligard Sales in the U.S. by Sanofi-Synthelabo
QLT Inc. announced that the Court of Appeal has informed QLT USA, Inc. that the injunction against promoting, manufacturing, selling and offering for sale Eligard(R) has been stayed pending its decision to grant a permanent stay of the injunction. Also, QLT USA's marketing partner for Eligard in the U.S., Sanofi-Synthelabo, Inc., has advised QLT USA that it is suspending sales of Eligard in the U.S. until the expiry of TAP Inc.'s patent, U.S. Patent No. 4,728,721 ("the '721"), on May 1, 2006.
As mentioned in an earlier news release, Sanofi-Synthelabo informed QLT USA that, unless the court explicitly permits the continued sale of Eligard, or a license is granted, it may elect to suspend Eligard sales in the U.S. until the '721 patent expires.
On February 27, 2006, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division granted an injunction enjoining QLT, Sanofi- aventis and their subsidiaries from promoting, manufacturing, selling and offering for sale QLT USA's Eligard product in the U.S. until the '721 patent expires on May 1, 2006.
QLT USA and Sanofi-Synthelabo intend to continue to vigorously defend this case, and to seek an appeal of the adverse judgment in the Court of Appeals.
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