The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has declared the compound patent CN200980116857.7 for Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) JAK inhibitor Olumiant (baricitinib) invalid in its entirety, as per a recent public document. The decision came after a challenge from Nanjing SiPake Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. Baricitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor originally developed by Incyte and licensed to Lilly in a 2009 deal valued at $755 million, has faced a significant setback in China.
Olumiant received its initial approval in Europe in February 2017, with subsequent registrations in Japan, the United States, and Canada. The drug was granted approval in China to treat rheumatoid arthritis in June 2019 and severe alopecia areata in March 2023. However, the recent ruling by CNIPA and the prior approval of a generic version of baricitinib in China by Nanjing Libowei Pharma in September 2023 signal a shift in the market landscape for this medication.- Flcube.com
