Ruling: Drug patents don’t bar competitor’s research

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Monday, June 13, 2005 | 9:25 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Drug companies have freedom under the Food and Drug Administration rules to ignore their rival's patents when starting research on competing medications, the Supreme Court ruled today.

The unanimous decision sets aside a lower court ruling for patent holder Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp.

It means that big drug companies will have more flexibility to start experimenting with potential therapies so long as they cannot feasibly be marketed until after a competitor's patent expires. Lower courts will have to sort out just how much leeway the companies will have.