Boehringer Ingelheim Humira US Patent Dispute Resolved

AbbVie announced on May 14, 2019 that it has resolved its intellectual property (IP)-related litigation with Humira (adalimumab) in the United States with Boehringer Ingelheim (BI).

Under the terms of the resolution, AbbVie will grant BI a non-exclusive license to its adalimumab-related IP in the US.  BI will pay royalties to AbbVie for licensing AbbVie’s Humira patents and acknowledges the validity and enforceability of the licensed patents. AbbVie reports that it will make no payments to BI. BI’s US license will begin on July 1, 2023.

"This is an important settlement as it resolves all Humira-related patent litigation in the US and provides access for another biosimilar manufacturer seeking to enter the US," said Laura Schumacher, vice chairman, external affairs and chief legal officer at AbbVie, in a company press release. "As an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company, we will continue to develop novel cures for the toughest health challenges and rely on a robust patent system to protect that investment in innovation."