AstraZeneca loses UK appeal on omeprazole formulation patents

ASTRAZENECA LOSES UK APPEAL ON OMEPRAZOLE FORMULATION PATENTS AstraZeneca today announced that the Court of Appeal in London has denied its request for a re-trial following an earlier decision of the United Kingdom's Patents Court in a dispute with the generic pharmaceutical companies, Arrow Generics Limited (acting through Cairnstores Limited) and Generics UK Limited, about formulation patents for omeprazole - the active substance used in Losec, a treatment for acid-related disorders, such as peptic ulcers. The Court of Appeal refused to allow a re-trial due to the bias shown by the Patents Court judge in the original hearing, and the decision in March (2002) of the Patents Court of the High Court Chancery Division, which declared the formulation patents (EP 247 983 and EP 496 437) invalid due to obviousness, was affirmed. The UK represented 4.3 percent of Losec's worldwide sales in 2001. Media Enquiries: Staffan Ternby, 08-553 261 07 Steve Brown, +44 (0) 207 304 5033 Emily Denney, +44 (0) 207 304 5034 Investor Relations: Staffan Ternby, 08-553 261 07 Mina Blair-Robinson, +44 (0) 207 304 5084 Jonathan Hunt, +44 (0) 207 304 5087 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/10/22/20021022BIT01040/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/10/22/20021022BIT01040/wkr0002.pdf