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The Brazilian Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region (TRF-1) recently suspended an eight-year patent extension for liraglutide, the active ingredient in Saxenda, a drug indicated for combatting Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The decision raises uncertainty for patent owners and generic manufacturers operating in the increasingly competitive weight-loss drug market.

An extension to the liraglutide patent, which is due to expire next year, had been obtained by Danish company Novo Nordisk in the first instance on the basis of a 13-year delay by the Brazilian patent office (INPI) in issuing a decision to grant.

The request to suspend the patent extension for Saxenda was filed by Brazilian pharmaceutical company EMS. Based on the 2021 STF’s ruling, EMS claims to have invested around $130 million to launch its generic version of the drug. However, as Novo Nordisk attempted to extend the patent term in the first instance, EMS is now seeking to protect that investment through the courts.

Read the full article at: IAM