Roche: Patent ruling won't stop Mircera

Roche has lost turf to Amgen in their patent battle over Mircera, an anti-anemia drug now under FDA review. A federal judge says that yes, the Roche remedy does infringe on an Amgen patent. Amgen's other patent claims against Mircera are scheduled to go to trial next week.

Amgen, of course, sells the blockbuster anti-anemia drugs Aranesp and Epogen--and they're both crucial to the company's health. In after-hours trading, Amgen was up 1.8 percent on the news; Roche stock had lost 1.8 percent. For its part, Roche says it plans to defy the ruling and launch Mircera in the U.S. as soon as it gets FDA approval. The judge's ruling doesn't affirm the validity of Amgen's patents, the company said in a statement.

- check out this release
- here's the AP report

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