Generic ramipril not obvious to King
Executive Summary
King is hoping to delay entry of generics versions of its ACE inhibitor Altace (ramipril) with a motion for hearing and rehearing en banc following a Federal Circuit decision, which invalidated King's '722 patent on the basis of obviousness. The Federal Circuit overturned an earlier decision that had upheld the validity of King's patent, instead ruling in favor of appellant Lupin. Teva, Actavis, Sandoz, Roxane and Dr. Reddy's each have a tentative approval for generic ramipril. King is hoping to spark growth of its top product, which has accounted for 32 percent of the firm's sales over the last 12 months, by launching a new tablet formulation and by gaining approval of a ramipril/hydrochlorothiazide combination (1"The Pink Sheet" Aug. 13, 2007, p. 12)...