Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Re: Humira FoBs

ABBV has a broad US patent estate to try to protect Humira from FoB competition after Humira’s US composition-of-matter patent expires in 2016; much of this patent estate consists of formulation, manufacturing, and method-of-use patents that were issued during the past two years. (Patent protection of Humira is weaker outside the US, and ABBV acknowledges that Humira FoBs will likely be launched in Europe by 2019.)

ABBV spent a considerable amount of time discussing the Humira patent estate during its 3Q15 CC yesterday, which included sales and earnings projections for the 2015-2020 period.

ABBV’s CC slide deck can be accessed at the link in #msg-118118633; slides 14-16 pertain to the Humira patent estate.

--
What does all this mean for MNTA/BXLT’s M923 and the Humira FoBs from such companies as AMGN and PFE? The answer is unclear; however, AMGN, who has already completed two phase-3 trials for its Humira FoB (#msg-110547164, #msg-93507865), will presumably be the first adversary to find out how strong an IP barrier ABBV has erected.