GLPharma Concludes Oral Emergency Contraceptive Lawsuit... "Expecting Sales Increase"

GL Pharmatech announced on the 5th that all patent lawsuits related to the oral emergency contraceptive EllaOne tablet (active ingredient ulipristal), which had been conducted by its subsidiary GL Pharma, have been concluded, and it is expected that sales of generic products will increase.

GL Pharmatech and GL Pharma completed the development of a product that circumvented the composition patent of the original product in September 2021 and won the patent scope confirmation trial, thereby being recognized as not infringing the patent of the original developer HRA Pharma. Subsequently, in September last year, they launched the product "Ella Oil Tablet" on the market. However, the lawsuit continued due to HRA Pharma's appeal, but in April this year, HRA Pharma withdrew the lawsuit, confirming GL Pharma's victory in the patent scope confirmation trial.

In addition to the patent scope confirmation trial, HRA Pharma had also pursued a patent infringement injunction lawsuit and a patent infringement lawsuit, and after the patent infringement injunction lawsuit was dismissed, they did not appeal.

GL Pharma and HRA Pharma continued the patent infringement lawsuit while under the patent infringement injunction decision. Later, the 'patent infringement lawsuit' filed by HRA Pharma against GL Pharma, Aliko Pharmaceutical, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, and The You Pharmaceutical was finally withdrawn as of December 2.

A GL Pharma representative stated, "With the withdrawal of this patent infringement lawsuit, GL Pharma has effectively won all patent lawsuits related to the ulipristal ingredient against the original company," adding, "The sales of EllaOne tablet in 2022 were approximately 3.6 billion KRW, and since the launch of generics by four companies including GL Pharma in the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been no significant market decline. With all related patent lawsuits ending in GL Pharma's favor, an expansion of the generic product sales market is expected."