U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey Rules in Favor of Merck in Patent Infringement Lawsuit Related to BRIDION® (sugammadex)

June 13, 2023 |

3 min read

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled in favor of the company and found that Merck correctly calculated the Patent Term Extension period for the primary patent related to BRIDION® (sugammadex).

RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled in favor of the company and found that Merck correctly calculated the Patent Term Extension period for the primary patent related to BRIDION® (sugammadex). Patent Term Extension is designed to restore some of the patent life lost during the regulatory review process for new drugs.

Today’s ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey affirms and validates Merck’s U.S. patent protection for BRIDION through at least January 2026.

“Merck’s science and technology was used to develop and launch BRIDION, and we’re pleased that the Court recognized the validity of our full patent extension period granted by the Patent Office,” said Jennifer Zachary, executive vice president and general counsel, Merck. “Innovations like these contribute to a broader ecosystem that allows us to continue investing in research and development to bring important new therapies and vaccines forward to the patients who need them.”

About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).