Oslo Court Orders Krka to Pay EUR 1.9M for Patent Infringement
Novo mesto, 23 April (STA) - The Commercial Court in Oslo, Norway, has ordered the Swedish subsidiary of Slovenian maker of generic drugs Krka to pay EUR 1.9m to the multinational AstraZeneca due to infringement of a patent on the active ingredient esomeprazole, Krka said on Monday.
Krka has claimed that the patent covers only esomeprazole with an
optical purity of 99.8% or more, as AstraZeneca has limited its invention
in all members of the European Patent Convention.
But the court in
Oslo ruled that the scope of invention is broader in Norway, arguing that
the patent covers any esomeprazole product with an optical purity above
98%.
Krka's product has an optical purity below 99.8% but above 98%,
falling within the scope of the patent.
Krka Sverige was selling its
esomeprazole products in Norway from October to December 2010, when it took
the product off the market after it received an injunction from the Oslo
Enforcement Court.
Krka said it would appeal against the first
instance decision.