Bayer Loses Yasmin Formulation Patent in Europe

Bayer has lost European patent protection for birth control pill Yasmin.

The Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office has decided to revoke German drugmaker Bayer Pharma AG's formulation patent for Yasmin, Yasminelle and YAZ.

This annuls the opposition division's decision in 2006 confirming the respective patent against which Hexal (Sandoz) submitted a notice of appeal. A decision on possible next steps will be taken by the company after studying the reasons of the decision.

'We are disappointed by the decision that the European Patent Office didn't concur with our legal opinion', said Dr. Flemming Ornskov, Head of Strategic Marketing General Medicine at Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. 'In spite of the Board of Appeal's decision we remain confident that we can maintain our European leadership position in Women's Healthcare with