Novo Nordisk Intends to Appeal Adverse Ruling in Prandin® (repaglinide) Patent Case

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Jan 19, 2011, 07:34 ET

PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Novo Nordisk announced that Judge Avern Cohn of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan issued an adverse ruling in a patent litigation case regarding Novo Nordisk's US Patent No. 6,677,358. The district court ruled that the patent, which covers the combination use of repaglinide and metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is invalid and unenforceable. Novo Nordisk markets repaglinide under the trade name Prandin® and a fixed dose repaglinide/metformin tablet under the trade name PrandiMet®. The district court ruling has the potential to facilitate launch of a generic repaglinide. At present, it is unclear whether or when a generic version of Prandin® or PrandiMet® will be available in the U.S. market. Novo Nordisk intends to appeal this ruling and is evaluating its best options for doing so.

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"We are disappointed with today's ruling. We believe that it is contrary to the evidence and we intend to appeal the ruling," says Jesper Brandgaard, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Novo Nordisk.

For the first nine months of 2010, US sales of Prandin® and PrandiMet® amounted to USD 134 million.

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 87 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 30,100 employees in 76 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen (Novo-B). Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). For more information, visit novonordisk.com.

SOURCE Novo Nordisk