Lead Compound Requirement: Not so rigid after all?
On February 11, 2013, the District Court of Delaware ruled that U.S. Patent No. 5,206,244 patent to entecavir (the active ingredient in Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Baraclude, which treats hepatitis B viral infections) is invalid for obviousness. This case marks the first instance where a court has invalidated a molecule patent based on obviousness. The lead compound…