Amgen on Thursday settled a patent lawsuit with Abbvie over its biosimilar version of Abbvie's best-selling arthritis drug Humira, reports Reuters.
The settlement will delay the launch of Amgen's biosimilar until Jan. 31, 2023, and ends all pending patent litigation between the two drugmakers. Abbvie will also be entitled to royalties on sales of Amgen's biosimilar.
Amgen was the first drugmaker to earn regulatory approval for a Humira biosimilar in Sept. 2016, but refrained from selling the drug during the ongoing patent litigation.
Humira is the highest-selling prescription drug in the world, according to Reuters. The drug generated $4.7 billion in global sales in the second quarter and is on track to exceed $18 billion in annual sales this year. Several other drug companies are still in litigation with Abbvie over their own biosimilar versions of Humira.
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