Alvotech sues AbbVie for patent-related issues

Alvotech Hf tried to invalidate dozens of patents AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV) holds on an arthritis drug - Humira - and turned to the US court for help. AbbVie has received several dubious patents for Humira, according to Alvotech's lawsuit. The company claims that Humira's patent expired in 2016. Alvotech says AbbVie is using its patents to stifle competition and maintain a monopoly. AbbVie has won 130 patents for Humira with dubious funds. Some of them are still valid until 2034. The US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform will ask Richard Gonzalez, AbbVie's CEO, about his pricing mechanisms next week. AbbVie has already had robust sales of over $ 75 billion on the sale of Humira. In the past two years, however, sales in overseas markets have declined. The background to this is the increasing competition from biosimilar products in Europe. Alvotech reached out to the FDA for support for its biosimilar version of Humira called AVT02. In a lawsuit in the Eastern District of Virginia District Court, AbbVie alleges that Alvotech infringed 62 patents for its AVT02. Alvotech says AbbVie has patented inventions such as a method to treat ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis). AbbVie also patented the process of making the drug, which had been developed by other companies a few years earlier. According to Alvotech, AbbVie did not invent any of these processes and received patents to keep the low-cost versions of drugs (biosimilars) off the market. Alvotech also said AbbVie has filed two lawsuits against the company with dubious allegations. AbbVie said in March 2021 that Alvotech hired its former employee in 2018 to steal the manufacturing process. However, Alvotech said it had developed this manufacturing process several years earlier. AbbVie also filed a lawsuit against Alvotech for patent infringement on its biosimilar. However, it incorrectly mentioned Alvotech Hf, its parent company, instead of Alvotech USA. Alvotech claims AbbVie has no jurisdiction to file a lawsuit against them in the Northern District of Illinois. Alvotech said AbbVie failed to obey the rules and forced it to bring a declaratory action. It went on to say that AbbVie has ignored all rules in an attempt to bolster its bottom line.