June 9 (Reuters) - Acadia Pharmaceuticals ( ACAD ) said

on Monday that the U.S. Court of Appeals has confirmed the

validity of its patent for Nuplazid, its drug for hallucinations

and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease.

The decision supports a December 2023 ruling from the U.S.

District Court of Delaware, ensuring the patent remains

protected in Acadia's legal battle against India-based drugmaker

MSN Laboratories.

The appeals court followed a precedent that says an earlier

patent claim cannot be invalidated by a later one if they share

the same priority date.

"We are gratified that the U.S. Federal Appeals Court has

affirmed the lower court's ruling in favor of our composition of

matter patent for Nuplazid, securing protection into 2030 for

this patent, and beyond based on the recent favorable ruling for

our formulation patent providing patent protection for Nuplazid

34 mg capsule formulation into 2038," said CEO Catherine Owen

Adams.

This decision comes after another favorable ruling for

Acadia regarding its formulation patent for Nuplazid. The court

supported Acadia's claims of infringement and validity in its

legal case against Aurobindo Pharma and other

companies.

The U.S. FDA approved Nuplazid for the treatment of

hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease

psychosis in 2016.