Favorable judgment for Padagis will result in more affordable access to glaucoma medication
SEATTLE and WASHINGTON, D.C., February 13, 2025 – A team from Knobbe Martens, led by Carol Pitzel Cruz, secured a victory for pharmaceutical company Padagis Pharmaceuticals in long-running Hatch-Waxman litigation involving a generic version of the glaucoma medication Simbrinza®.
In 2022, Padagis submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to bring to market a generic version of Simbrinza®. Plaintiffs Alcon Inc., Alcon Vision, LLC, and Alcon Laboratories, Inc. asserted that Padagis’s generic drug products would infringe certain Alcon patents.
Following a three-day trial last fall, U.S. Circuit Judge William C. Bryson, sitting by designation, published a decision on February 11, 2025, ruling that Padagis’s ANDA does not infringe Alcon’s patents.
This case is significant because Simbrinza® is used to treat glaucoma, a chronic condition affecting millions of individuals in the U.S. In light of this decision, patients in the U.S. will have access to a more cost-effective treatment option.
The Knobbe Martens team representing Padagis was led by Carol Pitzel Cruz, co-chair of the firm’s Hatch-Waxman litigation practice, and partners William Zimmerman, Andrea Cheek, Jeremiah Helm, and Ari Feinstein.
The case is Alcon Inc. et al v. Padagis Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd. et al, 1:22-cv-01422-WCB. A copy of Judge Bryson’s decision may be found here.
About Knobbe Martens
Knobbe Martens is a highly respected intellectual property law firm, offering legal services in all aspects of intellectual property and technology law. The firm’s litigation group handles cases throughout the U.S. and coordinates strategy for disputes worldwide. Founded in California in 1962, the firm has about 300 lawyers and scientists based in offices located in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Knobbe Martens serves a diverse international client base, from multinational corporations to emerging businesses of all stages. More information about the firm can be found at www.knobbe.com.
