FTC expands patent listing challenges for drugs

The Federal Trade Commission announced it expanded its campaign against pharmaceutical manufacturers’ “improper or inaccurate listing of patents” in the Food and Drug Administration’s Orange Book, disputing “junk patent listings” for diabetes, weight loss, asthma, and COPD drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) blockbuster weight-loss drug, Ozempic. Other publicly traded large-cap pharmaceutical makers include AstraZeneca (AZN), Bristol Myers (BMY), Eli Lilly (LLY), GSK (GSK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Merck (MRK), Novartis (NVS), Pfizer (PFE), Roche (RHHBY), Teva (TEVA) and Sanofi (SNY). The Commission notes it sent warning letters to 10 companies and notified the FDA that it disputes the accuracy or relevance of more than 300 Orange Book patent listings across 20 different brand name products.