Abbott, J&J autoimmune news

Abbott filed a patent infringement suit against Johnson & Johnson's Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. unit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The complaint alleges that J&J's Stelara ustekinumab ( CNTO 1275) infringes Abbott's U.S. Patents Nos. 6,914,128 and 7,504,485 covering human antibodies that bind to interleukin-12 (IL-12). Abbott is seeking compensatory damages and a permanent injunction to prevent Centocor from infringing the patents.

Stelara is a human mAb that inhibits IL-12 and IL-23. The product is approved in Europe and Canada to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and is under FDA review for the same indication. In June, J&J said FDA extended the review time by three months. The new PDUFA date was not disclosed. ...