UK COURT UPHOLDS PATENT RULING IN FAVOR OF CONOR MEDSYSTEMS

Conor Medsystems announced that the UK's Court of Appeal unanimously upheld a lower court decision to revoke the UK portion of a European paclitaxel-eluting stent patent that was licensed to Angiotech Pharmaceuticals.

The case, Conor v. Angiotech, was initiated by Conor against Angiotech and the University of British Columbia in the UK's High Court of Justice in 2005. Conor asked the court to invalidate the patent on the grounds that all of its claims "either lack novelty or are obvious in light of the state of scientific knowledge at the priority date of the patent," Conor said.

On Feb. 24, 2006, the court ruled the patent was invalid, and Angiotech appealed the decision in May.

The recent ruling was "expected," given that the UK "seldom upholds the rights of a patent holder," Angiotech President and CEO Bill Hunter said. "This decision does not impact other patents relating to our paclitaxel stent technology in the UK."