Teva Wins Reversal Of $235 Mln Glaxo's Coreg Drug Verdict

(RTTNews) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., (TEVA) has won a court ruling reversing a U.S. jury's more than $235 million verdict for infringing a patent of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's blood pressure drug Coreg.

U.S. District Judge Leonard Stark in Wilmington, Delaware ruled Wednesday that Teva's generic version didn't infringe Glaxo patent. As per the ruling, the evidence did not support the jury's finding that Teva caused doctors to prescribe the generic for congestive heart failure. According to the judge, doctors were relying on other information.

Bloomberg noted that Glaxo's patent is for the use of the compound carvedilol to lessen the chance of death from congestive heart failure. GSK claimed Teva infringed the patent.

In June, the jury had awarded GSK $234.1 million in lost profits and said GSK deserved an additional $1.4 million in royalties. The jury also had rejected Teva's contention that the patent was invalid.

Responding to the verdict, GSK said, "We are disappointed with the judge's decision and are reviewing our options."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Teva's generic version of Coreg, or carvedilol, in 2007.

The Jury's verdict in June 2017 was based on Teva's sales of its generic version of Coreg before the patent expired in June 2015.