Generic versions of a fish oil supplement proven to help reduce the risk of heart attacks took a big step toward pharmacy shelves on Thursday. A patent ruling that unravels Amarin's (NASDAQ: AMRN) market exclusivity for Vascepa has been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.
After hearing arguments on Wednesday, the three-judge panel didn't have any questions for the defendants, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (NYSE: RDY) and Hikma Pharmaceuticals (OTC: HKMPY). It looks like investors who saw the lack of questioning as a bad sign for Amarin's case were right. This morning the court upheld the previous ruling without issuing a formal opinion.
Image source: Getty Images.