Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has overturned a prior ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and has upheld the validity of the company's method-of-use patent on Strattera® (atomoxetine). In the case of Eli Lilly and Company v. Actavis Elizabeth LLC, et al, the court ruled in favor of Lilly, upholding the method-of-use patent which provides protection for Strattera through May of 2017.
"We are pleased with today's ruling from the Court of Appeals regarding Strattera's method-of-use patent and remain confident that the patent is valid and enforceable," said Robert A. Armitage, senior vice president and general counsel for Lilly. "In overturning the prior district court ruling, we believe that the Court fairly applied long-standing patent law principles."