The Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) confirmed that in assessing the availability of a non-infringing alternative (“NIA”) defence, the NIA must be legal and cannot infringe any patent, and its economic viability must be considered objectively.
2018
Bill C-86 receives Royal Assent, bringing amendments across Canada’s IP statutes
Canada’s core IP statutes have been amended by Bill C-86, which received Royal Assent as the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, SC 2018, c 27 on December 14, 2018. The final version of the legislation includes amendments to…
Two generics, one hearing: Federal Court orders common trial on patent validity issues in section 6 actions
The Federal Court has ordered that the trial of two actions brought under the post-CETA Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations (the Regulations), against two separate generics, be heard concurrently, on issues of invalidity. This decision highlights the Federal…
ONCA Permits Pleading Amendments Asserting Validity of Previously Invalidated Patent following Nexium Decision
This decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) arises in the context of a novel action brought by Apotex seeking damages for the delayed market entry of its generic version of Sanofi’s blockbuster ramipril drug.
Apotex’s claims…
Ontario Superior Court rejects Apotex attempts to revive the Promise Doctrine by dismissing motion for leave to amend, awards substantial indemnity costs
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice (ONSC) recently denied Apotex’s attempt to repackage the now defunct “promise of the patent” doctrine (the Promise Doctrine). Apotex sought to amend its pleadings to reintroduce the Promise Doctrine under the…
File-wrapper admissibility and other changes to the Patent Act are coming: what’s new for pharmaceutical patentees in Bill C-86
The federal government’s recent omnibus budget bill, Bill C-86 tabled October 29th, 2018, proposes significant changes to Canada’s IP laws. Division 7 of the Bill is intended to implement many aspects of the government’s IP strategy, announced in…
New protections for biologics and other pharmaceuticals under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
As we reported, Canada has joined a new trilateral trade deal called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USMCA contains important new protections for biologic and other pharmaceutical innovation. Chief among them, Canada will introduce an extended…
Abbreviated New Drug Submissions will be posted on the Submissions Under Review List and other pre-market transparency initiatives
Health Canada recently published a notice outlining its phase III pre-market transparency initiatives for prescription drugs. Beginning October 1, 2018, Health Canada will publish a new list of abbreviated new drug submissions (ANDSs) on the Submissions Under Review…
CETA Tracker: Update on CSPs
As we reported, on September 21, 2017 the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act and accompanying regulations came into force. The legislation provided key reforms to the Patent Act affecting the pharmaceutical industry, including up to…
Federal Court of Appeal upholds Health Canada’s requirement for additional information on testing data integrity
The Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) has dismissed Apotex’s appeal arising from its application to end Health Canada’s requirement for additional information establishing the integrity of data from Indian drug manufacturing facilities. The FCA found that the Federal…