Panacea Biotec & Sanofi Settle Vaccine Patent Dispute

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Panacea Biotec on Tuesday said it has reached a settlement agreement with Sanofi Healthcare India over patent infringement litigation for a fully liquid hexavalent vaccine, EasySix.

Under the terms of settlement agreement, Sanofi has agreed that at present, it would not directly or indirectly commercially launch its fully liquid hexavalent vaccine 'Shan6' in India, Panacea Biotec said in a regulatory filing.

Further, Sanofi will also withdraw oppositions against the amendment application filed against Panacea Biotec's patent 'IN272351' on hexavalent vaccine before the Indian Patent Office, it added.

In May 2021, Panacea Biotec instituted a suit before the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain Sanofi Healthcare India Pvt Ltd (Sanofi) from marketing a fully liquid hexavalent vaccine that would infringe the company's patent for its wP-IPV (whole-cell pertussis-inactivated polio vaccine) based fully liquid hexavalent vaccine, EasySix.

The suit was filed against Sanofi after it received marketing approval for 'Shan6', a whole cell Pertussis-based hexavalent vaccine, by the Drugs Controller General (India).

When the suit was listed before the Delhi High Court, "after elaborate submissions from both parties, Sanofi undertook that it would not manufacture or market any product which infringes the amended claims of Panacea patent, IN272351", the filing said.

Informing bourses that the parties have reached a settlement agreement, Panacea Biotec said, pursuant to the joint application filed by the parties, the said suit has been disposed of by the Delhi High Court on September 13, 2024.

Panacea Biotec said 'EasySix' is the first innovative fully-liquid hexavalent vaccine from India which is protected by patents in several countries, including India.

"The Patent IN272351 in favour of Panacea Biotec is also a testament to our ability to innovate and to protect that innovation," the company added.