Item 3. Legal Proceedings
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
On June 14, 2022, the Company received a Paragraph IV notice of certification (the “Fresenius Kabi Notice”) from Fresenius Kabi advising that Fresenius Kabi had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent Nos.: 9,561,229; 9,808,465; 9,974,742; 9,974,793; 9,974,794; 10,500,208; 10,624,850; 10,953,018; and 11,173,118 (the “CINVANTI Patents”), which are listed in the FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (the “Orange Book”). The Fresenius Kabi Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA.
On July 27, 2022, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Fresenius Kabi and a related entity in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Court”) in response to Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA filing. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Fresenius Kabi from infringing the CINVANTI Patents. On May 15, 2024, the Court granted partial summary judgment of infringement for the Company and found no indefiniteness of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,561,229 and 9,974,794. On June 24, 2024, the parties commenced a four-day bench trial centered on Fresenius Kabi’s defense of obviousness of claims from U.S. Patent Nos. 9,561,229 and 9,974,794 that cover CINVANTI. Oral argument was held on August 29, 2024.
On December 3, 2024, the Court issued a ruling in the Company’s favor. The Court found that the Company’s U.S. Patent Nos. 9,561,229 and 9,974,794, which expire in 2035, are valid and would be infringed by Fresenius Kabi’s proposed generic product. In view of the decision, the Court ordered that the effective date of any final approval by the FDA of Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA shall not be a date earlier than September 18, 2035, the expiration date of each of U.S. Patents Nos. 9,561,229 and 9,974,794. On January 8, 2025, Fresenius Kabi filed notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI.
On August 4, 2023, the Company received a Notice Letter (the “Mylan August Notice”) from Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Mylan”) advising that Mylan had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI (“Mylan’s CINVANTI ANDA”) in the U.S. prior to the expiration of the CINVANTI Patents, which are listed in the Orange Book. The Mylan August Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Mylan’s CINVANTI ANDA. On September 15, 2023, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Mylan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in response to the filing of Mylan’s CINVANTI ANDA. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Mylan from infringing the CINVANTI Patents. On November 9, 2023, the Company received an updated Notice Letter from Mylan advising that it had submitted an amendment to Mylan’s ANDA to include a Paragraph IV certification to Heron’s recently listed U.S. Patent No. 11,744,800. The parties completed fact discovery and are in expert discovery. A five-day bench trial is scheduled for May 19, 2025. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI. As a result of filing our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Mylan’s CINVANTI ANDA until the earlier of February 4, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
On December 16, 2023, the Company received a Notice Letter (the “Mylan December Notice”) from Mylan advising that Mylan had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of APONVIE in the U.S. (“Mylan’s APONVIE ANDA”) prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent Nos.: 9,561,229; 9,808,465; 9,974,742; 9,974,793; 9,974,794; 10,500,208; 10,624,850; 10,953,018; 11,173,118; and 11,744,800 (the “APONVIE Patents”), which are listed in the Orange Book. The Mylan December Notice alleges that the APONVIE Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Mylan’s APONVIE ANDA. On January 11, 2024, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the APONVIE Patents against Mylan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in response to Mylan filing Mylan's APONVIE ANDA. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Mylan from infringing the APONVIE Patents. On January 26, 2024, the Court consolidated this litigation concerning Mylan’s APONVIE ANDA with the previously-filed litigation concerning Mylan’s CINVANTI ANDA. A five-day bench trial is scheduled for May 19, 2025. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to APONVIE. As a result of filing our complaint for patent
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infringement, the FDA may not approve Mylan’s APONVIE ANDA until the earlier of June 16, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
On December 11, 2023, the Company received a Paragraph IV notice of certification (the “Slayback Notice”) from Slayback Pharma LLC ("Slayback") (now owned by Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) advising that Slayback had submitted an NDA under Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. (“Slayback’s NDA”) prior to the expiration of the patents listed in the Orange Book. The Slayback Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Slayback’s NDA. On January 24, 2024, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Slayback and a related entity in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in response to Slayback’s NDA filing. The complaint seeks, among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Slayback from infringing those patents. On July 2, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey granted Slayback’s motion to transfer this matter to the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. On December 12, 2024, to reflect Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s (“Azurity”) acquisition of Slayback, the Court entered a stipulation adding Azurity and a related entity into the case. On December 12, 2024, the Company filed a complaint against Slayback, Azurity, and related entities in the U.S. District Court for District of Delaware for patent infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 12,115,254 and 12,115,255. The parties are currently in fact discovery and preparing for claim construction. A four-day bench trial is currently scheduled for November 17, 2025. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI. As a result of our initial complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Slayback’s NDA until the earlier of June 12, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
ITEM 4. MINE SAF ETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
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PART II