Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.

956 F. Supp. 2d 295, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 101289, 2013 WL 3893417
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJuly 19, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 10-12079-NMG
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 956 F. Supp. 2d 295 (Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., 956 F. Supp. 2d 295, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 101289, 2013 WL 3893417 (D. Mass. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

GORTON, District Judge.

Plaintiffs Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sandoz Inc. (collectively, “Momenta”) bring suit against Teva Pharma[297]*297ceuticals USA, Inc. (“Teva”) for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,575,886 (“the '886 patent”).1

I. Background

In July, 2010, after receiving FDA approval, plaintiffs began to market the first generic version of Lovenox (otherwise known as enoxaparin) in the United States. Enoxaparin is an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots. In February, 2010, Teva announced its intention to sell a generic enoxaparin as soon as it obtained FDA approval. Chemi S.p.A (“Chemi”) an Italian company located in Patricia, Italy is responsible for manufacturing, analyzing, testing, packaging and labeling of Teva’s generic enoxaparin before Teva imports it into the United States.

Momenta is the assignee of the '886 patent, issued in August, 2009, which is directed at a set of manufacturing control processes that ensure that each batch of generic enoxaparin includes the individual sugar chains characteristic of Lovenox. Momenta alleges that Teva has infringed its patents by making material preparations to sell a generic enoxaparin product that has been manufactured using the methods in plaintiffs’ patents.

II. Procedural History

Plaintiffs filed their complaint on December 2, 2010 and moved for expedited discovery on December 28, 2010. On January 19, 2011, Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. was dismissed as a defendant and the following month this Court denied the motion for expedited discovery.

The Court held a joint Markman hearing in this case and Momenta Pharm. Inc. v. Amphastar Pharm., C.A. No. 11-cv-11681-NMG (“Amphastar Litigation”), in May, 2012, and issued a Markman Order in June, 2012. At the joint request of the parties, this case was stayed from August 10, 2012 until January 15, 2013, during an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the Amphastar litigation which raised issues relating to the so called “safe harbor” provision, 35 U.S.C. § 271(e)(1) (“ § 271(e)(1)”), which is also at issue in this case.

On January 31, 2013, defendants filed a motion for Judgment on the Pleadings or in the alternative Summary Judgment. On March 18, 2013, defendants moved to strike plaintiffs’ third amended infringement contentions. Shortly thereafter, plaintiffs filed a cross-motion for leave to amend their infringement contentions. The Court heard oral argument on all three motions at a hearing on July 1, 2013 and took the matter under advisement. The Court now announces its ruling on those three motions.

III. Motion for Summary Judgment2

A. Standard

The role of summary judgment is “to pierce the pleadings and to assess the proof in order to see whether there is a genuine need for trial.” Mesnick v. Gen. Elec. Co., 950 F.2d 816, 822 (1st Cir.1991) (quoting Garside v. Osco Drug, Inc., 895 F.2d 46, 50 (1st Cir.1990)). The burden is on the moving party to show, through the pleadings, discovery and affidavits, “that there is no genuine issue as to any materi[298]*298al fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

A fact is material if it “might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “Factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary will not be counted.” Id. A genuine issue of material fact exists where the evidence with respect to the material fact in dispute “is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Id.

Once the moving party has satisfied its burden, the burden shifts to the non-moving party to set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine, triable issue. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The Court must view the entire record in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and make all reasonable inferences in that party’s favor. O’Connor v. Steeves, 994 F.2d 905, 907 (1st Cir.1993). Summary judgment is appropriate if, after viewing the record in the nonmoving party’s favor, the Court determines that no genuine issue of material fact exists and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

B. Application

In-their Complaint plaintiffs allege that Teva must be infringing the '886 patent because the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) requires Teva to perform the methods claimed in the patent. Defendant moves for summary judgment on the grounds that all of its allegedly infringing activity is subject to the § 271(e)(1) safe harbor as interpreted by the Federal Circuit in Momenta Pharm. v. Amphastar Pharm., 686 F.3d 1348 (2012) and thus cannot constitute patent infringement. Plaintiffs oppose on several grounds.

Three of Momenta’s arguments in opposition to summary judgment are based on claims that Teva’s activities are not subject to the § 271(e)(1) safe harbor. In brief, Momenta contends that: 1) the FDA does not require Teva to use “any particular test” and thus Teva cannot be “required” to perform a test that infringes the '866 patent, 2) the routine commercial manufacturing records kept by Teva are not actually submitted or intended to be submitted to the FDA and 3) the maintenance of records is not “solely” for uses “reasonably related to development and submission of information”. Momenta made all three of these arguments in its opposition to summary judgment in the Amphastar case. The Court again rejects them for the reasons explained in its Memorandum and Order in that case. Order on Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 497), Momenta Pharm. Inc. v. Amphastar Pharm., C.A. No. 11-cv-11681-NMG.

Momenta’s other arguments in opposition are also unavailing. Momenta asserts that even if the testing done to achieve FDA approval is subject to the § 271(e)(1) safe harbor, Teva’s sales activity is a separate form of patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271(g). That statute states in part that

Whoever without authority imports into the United States or offers to sell, sells, or uses within the United States a product which is made by a process patented in the United States shall be liable as an infringer.

Plaintiffs assert that defendants are “liable as ...

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956 F. Supp. 2d 295, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 101289, 2013 WL 3893417, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/momenta-pharmaceuticals-inc-v-teva-pharmaceuticals-usa-inc-mad-2013.