Liquidia Technologies faces patent infringement ruling in Yutrepia litigation

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that Liquidia Technologies’ lead product, Yutrepia, infringes two valid claims of a patent held by United Therapeutics Corporation. The ruling specifically concerns U.S. Patent No. 11,826,327, which covers the treatment of pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) using inhaled treprostinil.

While the court found claims 1 and 14 of the patent to be valid and infringed, it ruled that the remaining claims asserted against Liquidia were invalid. The judge has directed both parties to submit proposed forms of judgment and requested remedies within one week. United Therapeutics has sought an injunction that could restrict sales of the product.

Liquidia CEO Roger Jeffs stated that the company disagrees with the decision and intends to pursue all available appellate options. As a proactive measure, Liquidia plans to submit a supplement to the FDA to remove the PH-ILD indication from the Yutrepia label. The legal outcome has caused significant market volatility, with Liquidia shares experiencing a sharp decline while United Therapeutics shares rose.