Eagle Pharmaceuticals, inc. (EGRX)

[Bickema]

Eli Lilly's Alimta escapes early generics—and a sales hit—with patent win over Teva

http://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/eli-lilly-prevails-teva-s-alimta-patent-challenge

Chalk up a win for Eli Lilly in a much-watched patent tussle over the blockbuster cancer med Alimta. A federal appeals court said generic versions from Teva and others would step on a key Lilly patent, a decision that could shield the company's big seller until 2022.

Lilly’s “vitamin regimen patent” has been “confirmed in every validity challenge to date,” Michael J. Harrington, the company's SVP and general counsel, said in a statement. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit follows two earlier wins at the appellate level.

If the company survives all remaining challenges, it’ll have exclusivity on the drug until May 2022. Lilly has a compound patent on Alimta through next January.

Used to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma, Alimta is a top seller for the drugmaker, pulling in nearly $2.5 billion in 2015 sales. Through the first 9 months of 2016, it delivered $1.74 billion in sales.

In the past Tariff has said they think they have a way around this but I am not up to date or a current shareholder. I will listen to the JPMorgan webcast to get the latest.