AbbVie said it has reached an agreement with Amgen in an intellectual property dispute regarding AbbVie's Humira (adalimumab).
"We are pleased to have reached this settlement with Amgen which respects the breadth and strength of our intellectual property portfolio," Laura Schumacher, executive vice president of AbbVie, said in an AbbVie release.
Amgen, which proposed a biosimilar product, will receive a non-exclusive licence to AbbVie's intellectual property of Humira, a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) blocker, the release said. Amgen also agreed to pay royalties, although the amount was not disclosed in the release. The licence provided to Amgen will begin on Jan. 31, 2023, in the U.S. and Oct. 16, 2018, in most European countries.
"As an innovation driven biopharmaceutical company, we believe intellectual property is essential to protect the investment in science and advance novel cures for the toughest health challenges," Schumacher said in the release. "In reaching this agreement, we have achieved the balance between protecting investment in innovation and providing access to biosimilars, which will play an important role in our health care system. We will continue to defend our intellectual property and to reinvest in further advancements in medicine to bring choices to patients in need."
Any pending litigation between AbbVie and Amgen has been dismissed.
