(BW HealthWire) — IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: IDPH) announced that it filed two separate suits for Declaratory Judgment for patent non-infringement and invalidity. Both suits were filed in the federal district court in the Southern District of California. One suit is against Corixa Corporation, Coulter Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and the University of Michigan on six patents on products and processes relating to radioimmunotherapy. The second suit is against Glaxo SmithKline on two patents relating to cell culture media.
The first lawsuit seeks a declaration that IDEC’s ZEVALIN(TM) (ibritumomab tiuxetan) product and its use in the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL) do not infringe Corixa’s issued U.S. patents. The second lawsuit seeks a declaration that IDEC’s manufacture of ZEVALIN does not infringe Glaxo SmithKline’s issued U.S. patents.
IDEC has developed ZEVALIN, a radiolabeled antibody for the treatment of B-cell NHL. ZEVALIN delivers radiation directly to the cancerous cells by combining the cancer-killing ability of the radioisotope Yttrium-90 with the targeting power of a monoclonal antibody that binds to the CD20 antigen found on cancerous B-cells. Earlier today, the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approval of ZEVALIN for the proposed treatment of certain B-cell NHL.
IDEC Pharmaceuticals focuses on the commercialization and development of targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. IDEC’s antibody products act chiefly through immune system mechanisms, exerting their effect by binding to specific, readily targeted immune cells in the patient’s blood or lymphatic system. 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.
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 timing, success and cost of preclinical research and clinical studies, the timing, acceptability and review periods for regulatory filings, the timing of and ability to obtain regulatory approval of products, such as ZEVALIN, the timing, scope, cost, and outcome of legal proceedings, the achievement of future product sales, the level of manufacturing performance and 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, 2000 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2001, 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 is a registered U.S. trademark of the company and ZEVALIN is a trademark of the company. IDEC’s headquarters are located at 3030 Callan Road, San Diego, CA 92121.
IDEC Pharmaceuticals’ press releases are available at no charge through Business Wire’s News on Demand Plus. For a menu of IDEC’s current press 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, San Diego Vince Reardon, 858/431-8656 Director, Corporate Communications
 News provided by COMTEX. User agreement applies |