News in brief

German court invalidates GSK Advair patent

GERMANY

A group of generic drug makers have won a patent challenge in a German court against GlaxoSmithKline’s asthma drug Advair (fluticasone/salmeterol). The German Federal Patents Court ruling followed a hearing in February in which generic firms Mylan, Neolab, Hexal – part of Novartis’ Sandoz unit and Ivax – a unit of Teva Pharmaceuticals challenged the patent on the combination therapy.