MediciNova Given Notice of Monetary Damages Due Under Patent Settlement of Sanofi-Novartis

Core Viewpoint - MediciNova, Inc. has been notified of a settlement in the Sanofi/Novartis litigation, which entitles the company to receive monetary damages, validating its intellectual property and providing non-dilutive funding for ongoing clinical development programs [1][2]. Group 1: Litigation Details - The Sanofi/Novartis litigation involved a claim for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,051,542, filed by Genzyme Corporation against Novartis, alleging unauthorized use of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors for the gene therapy drug Zolgensma [3]. - MediciNova is entitled to a portion of any monetary damages recovered by Genzyme as per the terms of the assignment agreement dated December 19, 2005 [3]. Group 2: Zolgensma Overview - Zolgensma, approved by the FDA on May 24, 2019, is a gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in children under two years old, priced at $2.1 million per infusion, making it one of the most expensive medicines [4]. - In 2023, Zolgensma generated over $1.3 billion in annual sales, with expectations to earn between $1.5 billion and $2 billion annually [4]. Group 3: Company Overview - MediciNova is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a late-stage pipeline focused on novel small molecule therapies for inflammatory, fibrotic, and neurodegenerative diseases [5]. - The company has 11 clinical development programs, with its lead asset, MN-166 (ibudilast), currently in Phase 3 trials for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) [5].