Abbot to Appeal Court Ruling over Patent Lawsuit

June 30, 2009

Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said on Tuesday it will appeal the court ruling that asked the company to pay its rival Johnson & Johnson with $1.67 million damages over patent infringement lawsuit.

In a statement, Abbott Spokesman Scott Stoffel said the company is confident that it will prevail on a retrial since it did not commit infringement and "it does not owe any damages."

On Monday, a Texas jury ruled that Abbott's anti-inflammatory drug Humira has violated Johnson & Johnson's Remicade. These two drugs are used in treating patients with arthritis and both works by blocking proteins that cause joints to swell.

In 1999, Johnson & Johnson has received a patent right for its Remicade. On the other hand, Abbott patented its Humira in 2002. However, Stoffel claimed that Abbott has been researching on Humira even before its rival patented Remicade.