© Oxford University Press 2006.
NEWS |
Ariad Pharmaceuticals Wins First Round Over Eli Lilly, Patents on Methods Can Be Far-reaching
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The case looked like a slam dunk for Eli Lilly, which was being sued for patent infringement by the tiny biotech company Ariad Pharmaceuticals. The question at hand was the small firm's patent, which Indianapolis-based Lilly contended was so broad that it was like owning the rights to gravity. Most industry watchers agreed, especially the patent attorneys who monitor these issues.
That's why many in the industry were so surprised when on May 4 a Federal District Court jury in Boston upheld Ariad's patent on a fundamental system that affects drug development in areas as diverse as inflammation, osteoporosis, and cancer. Opponents have already tried to roll back the Cambridge, Mass., company's patent, and Lilly says that it will appeal the verdict. Now many people wonder if the ruling protecting this broad biological claim will stand and, if it does, how the case might affect wider drug discovery and development.
The Legendary Discovery
Small Companies Win?
A Long List