Copenhagen, 4 February 2016 – In response to market speculation about patent
litigation in the US relating to lixisenatide, Zealand informs that it is not a
party to the US proceedings. Zealand is aware of the patent litigation and
other invalidity proceedings before the US Patent and Trademark Office, which
are pending between Sanofi and AstraZeneca, and is keeping informed of their
status and monitoring developments closely.
With regard to the potential consequences for Zealand of this ongoing
litigation, the company confirms its confidence that the practice by Sanofi of
the rights licensed to it by Zealand does not infringe AstraZeneca patents that
are valid and enforceable. In light of the strong intellectual property
position of lixisenatide in the US and elsewhere, Zealand does not expect that
the pending proceedings will affect the company or its outlook.