Medicines Co wins patent infringement suit against Mylan

(Reuters) - A U.S. court ruled Mylan Inc infringed the Medicines Co's patent on its blood-clot-inhibitor Angiomax, according to a court filing on Monday. The Medicines Co filed the lawsuit in February 2011 against Mylan's proposed bivalirudin drug, which Medicines said infringed its patent on Angiomax. Mylan had argued that several of Medicines Co's patent claims were invalid. The U.S. District Court for northern Illinois rejected Mylan's contention, saying it failed to provide "clear and convincing" evidence that Medicines Co's patent claims were invalid or unenforceable. "We are highly satisfied with the Illinois Court's ruling, which supports our ongoing conviction to defend these patents vigorously," Medicines Co Chief Executive Officer Clive Meanwell said in a statement. Mylan planned to manufacture and sell the generic version of Angiomax before the patent expires in January 2028. Angiomax, an injectable drug, was approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2000 to be used as an anticoagulant in conjunction with aspirin for patients undergoing angioplasty. Angiomax accounted for 87 percent of the total revenue reported by Medicines Co for the quarter ending September 2014. Mylan officials were not immediately available for comment. The case is in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, The Medicines company vs Mylan Inc, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc and Bioniche Pharma USA,LLC, case no: 11-cv-1285 (Reporting by Anjali Rao Koppala in Bangalore; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)