Amgen's PCSK9 Patent Battle: Legal Loss but Commercial Victory
By
quadrin
Baker's choice. Dense with flavour, light on filler.
Summary
This article examines Amgen's legal battle over PCSK9 cholesterol drugs, specifically their patent dispute with Sanofi and Regeneron. Amgen developed evolocumab, a complex antibody that binds to PCSK9 to block cholesterol-clearing receptor destruction. Despite losing a nine-year Supreme Court case where they claimed ownership of an entire class of cholesterol drugs, Amgen ultimately succeeded commercially where it mattered most. The piece explores the tension between patent law's purpose of rewarding innovation through temporary monopolies versus companies seeking protection without full disclosure.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledPatent law rests on a simple covenant: inventors reveal their secrets, and society grants them temporary monopolies in return.
Amgen had developed evolocumab—a protein comprising 1,328 amino acids arranged with such precision that changing even one could eliminate its function entirely.
This antibody binds to PCSK9, a protein that destroys the liver's cholesterol-clearing receptors, and block its activity completely.
Amgen sued Sanofi and Regeneron to claim ownership of an entire class of cholesterol drugs.
Nine years later, the Supreme Court ruled against them - but they won where it mattered most.
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