(BUSINESS WIRE) — IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: IDPH) today announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Corixa Corporation and GlaxoSmithKline for patent infringement in connection with Corixa’s Bexxar(TM) product and its use in the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). The suit was filed in the federal district court in the Southern District of California.
The complaint alleges that Corixa’s and GlaxoSmithKline’s conduct since the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee’s (ODAC’s) recommendation for approval of Bexxar(TM) constitutes, or will constitute, infringement of U.S. Patent No. RE 38,008. The complaint seeks available remedies under the patent laws, including monetary damages and permanent injunctive relief. The patent in question was just issued by the Patent and Trademark Office and covers methods for the use of radiolabeled antibodies in the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).
IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a leader in the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. IDEC discovered and developed the first commercially available radioimmunotherapy product (Zevalin) approved in the United States, which is used to treat certain non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. IDEC also discovered, and with co-promotion partner Genentech, Inc., developed the first monoclonal antibody product (Rituxan) approved in the United States for the treatment of cancer. Rituxan is approved in over 70 countries worldwide and is also used to treat various types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. IDEC is a San Diego based, integrated biopharmaceutical company with multiple products in clinical stage development and strategic alliances in a variety of research platforms.
The statements made in this press release contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from IDEC’s expectations. For example, the risk factors listed from time to time in IDEC’s SEC filings including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2002, may affect the actual results achieved by IDEC. These forward-looking statements represent the company’s judgment as of the date of this release. The company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
IDEC Pharmaceuticals, Rituxan and Zevalin are registered U.S. trademarks of the company. The company’s headquarters are located at 3030 Callan Road, San Diego, CA 92121.
For a menu of IDEC’s current news releases and quarterly reports or to retrieve a specific release, call (888) 329-2309. On the Internet check the News Center at IDEC’s website: http://idecpharm.cdmail.biz.CONTACT: IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation, San Diego Vince Reardon, Director, Corporate Communications 858/431-8656
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