LONDON (Reuters) - Eli Lilly (N:LLY) said on Thursday it had lost a patent case in the English High Court over its blockbuster Alimta lung cancer drug to generic drugmaker Actavis
The court ruled that Actavis would not infringe dosage patents held by Lilly if it marketed certain alternative salt forms of the drug in Britain and several other European countries when Alimta compound patents expire in 2015.
Lilly also has further UK patents valid to 2021.
The court granted corresponding declarations of non-infringement regarding Alimta's vitamin dosage regimen patents in France, Italy and Spain.
Lilly said it intended to appeal the decision.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Tom Bergin)