Novartis petitions Supreme Court in effort to 'vigorously defend' Gilenya patent

Novartis has officially petitioned the Supreme Court in an ongoing effort to protect Gilenya from generic rivals for at least another several years.

The Swiss pharma giant filed the 55-page document Wednesday, after announcing its intent to petition the court in September. The case dates back to 2016, when HEC Pharm filed for generic approval of its own version of Gilenya, Novartis’s blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug. The generic won approval in 2019, but Novartis fought back with lawsuits asserting that various patents don’t expire until 2027.