1. Pink Sheet
  2. >>Legal & IP

Amgen’s Stealth Enbrel Patent May Block Biosimilars; Scenario May Apply To Other Biologics

 
• By Brenda Sandburg

Amgen’s patent may keep Enbrel biosimilars off the market until at least 2028. Other biosimilar sponsors could face similar submarine patents that derail their commercialization plans.

Amgen Inc. asserted at an analyst meeting in April that it would be able to block biosimilars of Enbrel (etanercept) after a manufacturing patent expired in October 2012. But no one knew it had a crucial patent application pending in the Patent and Trademark Office that could provide 17 years of additional patent protection.

The company’s announcement that the patent had issued on Nov. 22, 11 years after the application was filed, stunned those...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Legal & IP

Court Allows MSN Marketing Of Entresto Generic, But More Legal Issues Pending

 
• By Dean Rudge

Novartis failed to stop MSN from launching a generic Entresto and saw an earlier temporary ban lifted, potentially opening the market to competition before a final decision on a US patent dispute.

Repurposed Generics For Rare Diseases: Janet Woodcock Proposes Shortcut

 
• By Grace Moser

A Duke-Margolis working group is developing ideas to enable non-profit firms to seek US FDA approval for new indications for off-patent medicines. The former acting commissioner thinks citizen petitions might be the fastest route.

‘Prescription Drugs Are Not Golf Balls’: FTC/DoJ Solicit Clashing Opinions On Patents

 
• By Urtė Fultinavičiūtė

Innovator drug advocates argued that the number of patents asserted by industry is not too dissimilar to other fields. But should drugs be compared to golf balls?

The Politics Of Divisionals: How European Patentees Are Still Gaming The System

 
• By Dave Wallace

At Medicines for Europe’s legal affairs conference last month, divisional patents were once again a major subject of discussion. Attendees heard fresh details of how patentee games are preventing generics from hitting the market and restricting wider access to major medicines.

More from Pink Sheet

Global Pharma Guidance Tracker - July 2025

 
• By Vibha Sharma and Anabel Costa-Ferreira

Stay up to date on regulatory guidelines from around the world with the Pink Sheet’s Guidance Tracker. The complete Global Pharma Guidance Tracker, with sortable and searchable listings going back to 2014, is available online.

Research Advances And Filings Prompt EMA To Revise Alzheimer’s Trial Guideline

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

Following EU approval of the first disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, and with a second expected soon, the European Medicines Agency plans to update its guidance to support the design of state-of-the-art clinical trials for the disease and enhance drug development.

50% Levy On India And Brazil, US Tariffs Leave Global Trade, Forecasts In Disarray

 
• By Vibha Ravi

50% tariffs on US imports from India, a range on others, an uncertain outcome of Section 232 investigations of pharma and talk of BRICS tariffs are making the forecasting environment for the pharma industry extremely difficult, the Pink Sheet finds in this infographic analysis.