Novartis AG v Pharmacor Pty Limited (No 3) [2024] FCA 1307

Novartis AG v Pharmacor Pty Limited (No 3) [2024] FCA 1307 File number:

Judgment of: YATES J

Date of judgment: 13 November 2024

PATENTS – infringement – standard patent for a pharmaceutical composition containing certain active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) – claim construction – whether claim covers a pharmaceutical composition where the API is in the form of a complex in which the ions are associated by non-covalent bonds PATENTS – identity of the person skilled in the art – where the person skilled in the art is understood as a "team" – discussion of the characteristics of the person skilled in the art Catchwords: PATENTS – validity – lack of inventive step – availability of prior art information – whether person skilled in the art could be reasonably expected to have ascertained and regarded as relevant certain prior art publications PATENTS – validity – lack of inventive step – discussion of the reformulated "Cripps question" – whether obviousness established on the evidence PATENTS – extension of patent term – whether extension validly granted – whether rectification of the Register of Patents should be ordered PATENTS – The Last Judgment

Legislation: Patents Act 1990 (Cth) ss 7, 18, 40, 70, 138, 192

Aktiebolaget Hassle v Alphapharm Pty Limited [2002] HCA 59; 212 CLR 411 Application of Tomlinson (1966) 363 F 2d 928 Aspirating IP Limited v Vision Systems Limited [2010] FCA 1061; 88 IPR 52 AstraZeneca AB v Apotex Pty Ltd [2014] FCAFC 99; 226 FCR 324 AstraZeneca AB v Apotex Pty Ltd [2015] HCA 30; 257 CLR 356 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc v Intervet International BV [2022] FCAFC 88; 166 IPR 468 Catnic Components v Hill & Smith Ltd [1982] RPC 183 Commissioner of Patents v Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd [2022] FCAFC 39; 291 FCR 1 Crane v Price (1842) 4 Man & G 580 Dow Corning Corporation's Application [1969] RPC 544 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Peabody [1994] HCA 43; 181 CLR 359 General Tire & Rubber Co v Firestone Tyre & Rubber Co Ltd [1972] RPC 457 Generic Health Pty Ltd v Bayer Pharma Aktiengesellschaft [2014] FCAFC 73; 222 FCR 336 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Investments (Ireland) (No 2) Ltd v Generic Partners Pty Ltd [2018] FCAFC 71; 264 FCR 474 Cases cited: H Lundbeck A/S v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2009] FCAFC 70; 177 FCR 151 Hanwha Solutions Corporation v REC Solar Pte Ltd [2023] FCA 1017 Kirin-Amgen Inc v Hoechst Marion Roussel Ltd [2005] RPC 9 Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd v Doric Products Pty Ltd (No 2) [2007] HCA 21; 235 CLR 173 MMD Australia Pty Ltd v Camco Engineering Pty Ltd [2024] FCAFC 38 Mylan Health Pty Ltd v Sun Pharma ANZ Pty Ltd [2020] FCAFC 116; 279 FRC 354 Novartis AG v Pharmacor Pty Limited [2023] FCA 804 Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation v Biorex Laboratories Ltd [1970] RPC 157 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd v Generic Health Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] FCA 634; 113 IPR 191 Pfizer Inc v Commissioner of Patents [2005] FCA 137; 141 FCR 413 Pharmacia LLC v Juno Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd [2022] FCA 92; 165 IPR 200 Sandoz AG v Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH [2023] FCA 1321 Sandoz AG v Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH [2024] FCAFC 135 Sequenom Inc v Ariosa Diagnostics Inc [2019] FCA 1011 143 IPR 24 Sunbeam Corporation v Morphy-Richards (Aust) Pty Ltd (1961) 180 CLR 98 Wellcome Foundation Ltd v VR Laboratories (Aust) Pty Ltd (1981) 148 CLR 262