AZN loses U.K. omeprazole appeal

AstraZeneca (AZN; LSE:AZN) said the U.K. Court of Appeal denied its request for a retrial in its omeprazole patent case against Arrow Generics and Generics (UK), two business units of Merck KGaA (FSE:MRK). AZN said it was appealing a March ruling by the Patents Court of the High Court Chancery Division that found two of its "key" formulation patents for omeprazole invalid due to obviousness. "We do not intend to appeal further," said AZN spokesman Steve Brown. Omeprazole is the active substance in AZN's Losec ( Prilosec in the U.S.) to treat acid reflux. ...