(Adds comments from Amgen)

By Kim Richters

Sanofi SA said Thursday that the European Patent Office has ruled in favor of Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in a patent case related to their cholesterol drug Praluent.

The French pharmaceutical company said the European authority's ruling invalidated certain European patent claims made by Amgen Inc. concerning PCSK9 antibodies relevant to the drug.

"Amgen is disappointed in the decision by the EPO's technical board of appeal denying patent protection" to some of Amgen's patent claims a spokeswoman for the U.S. pharmaceutical company told The Wall Street Journal.

"Amgen led the way in deciphering the role of PCSK9 and was the first company in the world to invent a class of monoclonal antibodies that have proven to provide therapeutic benefit by inhibiting the protein PCSK9. We firmly believe that the original scope of patent protection granted for this significant contribution was appropriate and valid," the spokeswoman added.

Sanofi said it owns the rights for the drug outside of the U.S., while Regeneron holds them inside the country.

Praluent continues to be on the market in the European countries where it is approved, with the exception of Germany after an injunction in July last year, which Sanofi said it has appealed.

Write to Kim Richters at kim.richters@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 29, 2020 11:57 ET (15:57 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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