MedImmune v Novartis [2011] EWHC 1669 (Pat); [2012] FSR 23

Richard Meade QC and James Whyte acted for the claimant patentee in a patent infringement/revocation action concerning antibody phage display, in the first of a series of trials between the same parties around Europe. This technology was developed by the Medical Research Council and Cambridge Antibody Technology (now MedImmune) and provides a way to screen very large numbers of recombinant antibodies for those that bind to an antigen of interest, by displaying the antibodies on the protein coat of bacteriophage particles. The infringement claim related to Novartis’ drug Lucentis (ranibizumab) for wet age-related macular degeneration, which was alleged to be a direct product of the patented process. Argument on entitlement to priority and related SPC issues is due to take place in September 2011.