Aurinia Settles Voclosporin Patent Litigation With Teva, Stock Rises

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals AUPH announced that it, along with the U.S. subsidiary, has entered into a settlement agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals TEVA to resolve patent infringement litigation related to the latter’s abbreviated new drug application seeking approval for generic 7.9 mg voclosporin oral capsules in the United States.

Shares of Aurinia were up 6% yesterday following the announcement of the news.

Per the settlement, Teva has stipulated that Aurinia’s U.S. Patent Nos. 10,286,036 and 11,622,991 are enforceable and valid and would be infringed by commercial sales of its generic voclosporin product in the United States. The patents expire in December 2037, providing Aurinia with substantial patent protection for voclosporin.

Importantly for Aurinia, the agreement allows Teva to launch its generic voclosporin product no earlier than Dec. 7, 2036, unless certain defined contingencies occur earlier. However, Teva’s commercialization of the generic product also remains contingent on FDA approval.

AUPH’s Price Performance

Year to date, shares of Aurinia have risen 1.4% compared with the industry’s increase of 3.5%.

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More on AUPH’s Patent Settlement

The latest settlement provides greater visibility into the timing of potential generic competition for Aurinia’s voclosporin product in the United States. By pushing back the potential launch of Teva’s generic until late 2036, the agreement could help preserve Aurinia’s commercial opportunity for voclosporin for an extended period, subject to the terms of the settlement and regulatory approval.

Aurinia currently markets Lupkynis (voclosporin), which is the first FDA-approved oral therapy for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis. In the first six months of 2026, Lupkynis recorded sales worth $153 million, increasing 21% year over year.

Meanwhile, Aurinia’s patent litigation involving other companies remains ongoing. The company said related infringement actions continue against DifGen Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and its affiliate Galenicum Health, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Lotus Pharmaceutical and its affiliate Sandoz, and Zydus Pharmaceuticals and its affiliate in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Besides Lupkynis, Aurinia is also developing its pipeline candidate, aritinercept, a dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor, across multiple autoimmune diseases.

AUPH Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Aurinia currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Repligen RGEN and Anika Therapeutics ANIK, each currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Repligen’s 2026 earnings per share have risen from $1.99 to $2.06, while estimates for 2027 have increased from $2.57 to $2.61 during the same time. RGEN’s shares have gained 7.6% year to date.

Repligen’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 16.80%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Anika Therapeutics’ 2026 earnings per share have risen from 41 cents to $1.05, while estimates for 2027 have increased from 46 cents to 95 cents during the same time. ANIK’s shares have surged 121.3% year to date.

Anika Therapeutics’ earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing three quarters, with the average surprise being 950.00%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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