Supreme Court's Patent Standoff: Bausch vs. Generic Xifaxan

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by Norwich Pharmaceuticals to produce a generic version of Bausch Health's Xifaxan, allowing a lower court ruling to stand. This decision maintains Bausch's patent rights for treating hepatic encephalopathy, impacting the U.S. pharmaceutical landscape.

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to take up an appeal from Norwich Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Alvogen, that sought to produce a generic variant of Xifaxan, a blockbuster diarrhea medication made by Canada's Bausch Health.

The refusal keeps in place a lower court's ruling that a generic would infringe Bausch's patents for using Xifaxan to address hepatic encephalopathy, a liver-related brain disorder.

This outcome preserves Bausch's market hold and potential revenue from Xifaxan in the U.S., underscoring the legal complexities surrounding drug patents.

(With inputs from agencies.)