Court Orders Abbott to Pay $1.67 Settlement for Patent Infringement

June 30, 2009

A federal court ordered drugmaker Abbott Laboratories to pay $1.67 billion in settlement for infringing Johnson & Johnson’s patented rheumatoid arthritis drugs.

In April 2007, Johnson & Johnson's auxiliary firm Centocor filed patent infringement lawsuit against Abbot before a court in the Eastern District of Texas.

In a statement, Centocor President Kim Taylor said the company is "gratified for the jury's ruling and recognition that the patent for their arthritis drug Remicade is valid and infringed."

Meanwhile, Abbott Spokesman Scott Stoffel said they will appeal the ruling, adding that their drug Humira has not violated any patent law since it is the first anti-TNF medicine, which prevents formation of tumor, that was tested on human.