Eagle soars after bendamustine patent ruling

A judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware upheld most claims of a patent from the Cephalon Inc. subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA) covering cancer drug Treanda bendamustine. Eagle Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:EGRX), which last year granted Teva rights to bendamustine formulation Bendeka ( EP-3102), jumped $11.53 (28%) to $53 on the news.

Teva, which sells both drugs as part of the same franchise, expects the ruling will prevent the launch of generic versions of Treanda until U.S. Patent No. 8,791,270 expires in 2026. The suit was a consolidated infringement case involving the patent. ...