San Diego, Calif. — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld a previous ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware affirming the validity of Acadia Pharmaceuticals’ composition of matter patent for its drug NUPLAZID (pimavanserin). The decision marks another legal win for the company as it works to protect its intellectual property against generic competition.
The affirmed patent, known as the ’740 composition of matter patent, provides protection for NUPLAZID through 2030. The court’s decision came in the context of Acadia’s ongoing litigation with MSN Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. and MSN Pharmaceuticals, Inc., who challenged the patent’s validity. The Appeals Court referenced precedent set in a similar case involving Allergan, concluding that a later-expiring, earlier-filed patent claim remains valid even when compared to an earlier-expiring, later-filed claim with a shared priority date.
Acadia’s Chief Executive Officer, Catherine Owen Adams, praised the ruling as a significant reinforcement of the company’s long-term strategy. “We are gratified that the U.S. Federal Appeals Court has affirmed the lower court’s ruling in favor of our composition of matter patent for NUPLAZID,” she said. “This ruling, along with a recent decision upholding our formulation patent that protects the 34 mg capsule formulation into 2038, underscores our commitment to defending the innovations that support patients with serious unmet medical needs.”
This latest decision follows a separate December 2023 victory in which the Delaware District Court ruled in favor of Acadia on both the infringement and validity of its ’721 formulation patent in litigation against Aurobindo Pharma Limited and other generic drug makers submitting Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs).
NUPLAZID, a treatment for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis, remains a cornerstone of Acadia’s commercial portfolio. With legal protection now reinforced through the next decade and beyond, the company continues to strengthen its intellectual property position amid rising interest in neurological and psychiatric therapies.
