Jan 09, 2018

Filing of Patent Infringement Lawsuit Concerning Rituxan® Injection, and a Petition for Provisional Disposition Order

Name of listed company: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Code number: 4519 (1st Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange)
Head office: 1-1, Nihonbashi-Muromachi 2-Chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Chairman & CEO: Osamu Nagayama
Inquiries to: Masahiko Uchida,
General Manager, Corporate Communications Dept.
Tel:+81-(0)3-3273-0881

January 9, 2018 (Tokyo) -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that it has filed an application for assisting intervention with Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. in a lawsuit that Genentech Inc. filed to the Tokyo District Court as of December 28, 2017, wherein the plaintiff demands prohibition of sales etc. of the biosimilar product of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Rituxan® Injection 10mg/mL (Rituxan® Injection), against Sandoz K.K., the manufacturer and distributor of the biosimilar product, and Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., the distributor of the biosimilar product, citing such parties' infringement of three use patents owned by Biogen Inc., as the ground. Chugai has also filed an application for assisting intervention in a petition for provisional disposition order that has been filed with the lawsuit.

Biogen is a holder of those patents, Genentech Inc. is the exclusive licensee of those patents, Zenyaku Kogyo is the exclusive distribution rights' holder in Japan of Rituxan® Injection, and Chugai is the joint distributor of Rituxan® Injection with Zenyaku Kogyo.

As a company that aims to provide innovative drugs, we regard intellectual property rights that protect products and technologies resulted from research and development as a very important asset. Chugai will deal rigorously with any acts that violate them, including taking legal actions.

There is no impact on Chugai’s financial prospects for this matter at this stage.

Trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

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