Court curbs Mabthera rival

Sandoz has been barred from selling Mabthera biosimilar Riximyo until August next year in the first injunction granted against a biosimilar since they began to appear on the Australian market.

But the interlocutory injunction, imposed in the Federal Court this morning, was more lenient than Roche had hoped for and tougher than Sandoz had argued for.

The result will keep Riximyo off the PBS despite a positive recommendation dating from March this year and is almost certain to preserve Roche's $130.7 million annual top-line PBS benefits flow from the product for just over another year while the patent infringement case is decided.