WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Mylan will be barred from marketing a generic version of a Merck cardiovascular drug until the drug's patent expires, under a court ruling announced Friday.

Merck said the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled against Mylan in two patent infringement suits related to the drugs Zetia (ezetimibe) and Vytorin (ezetimibe and simvastatin). Specifically, the court ruled that a patent covering the drug, RE 42,461, is valid and enforceable and enjoined Mylan from launching until the patents expiration in April 2017.

Mylan had been seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for generic versions of Zetia and Vytorin, prompting Merck to file suit against it in December 2009 for Vytorin, and in June 2010 for Zetia.

Interested in this topic? Sign up for our weekly DSN Collaborative Care e-newsletter.