INTERNATIONAL pharmaceuticals company Vectura Group based in Chippenham at Bumpers Way have scored an expensive legal victory over rivals GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Led by their cheif executive officer James Ward-Lilley the firm took GSK to court in America after they claimed the Brentford based pharmaceuticals company had infringed their inhaler products.

Mr Ward-Lilley said: “Although we regret the need to take a longstanding partner to court, we are pleased with the jury’s verdict which confirms the validity of our intellectual property and the decision to progress this action with GSK.

“We will provide updates on this matter in due course.”

For the Wiltshire firm victory meant a massive $90m (£70.8m) in damages after a US district court found GlaxoSmithKline guilty of wilfully infringing its US patent.

The case was heard in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, which ruled that GSK’s Ellipta products infringed Vectura’s US patent (8303991).

Vectura filed the lawsuit in July 2016, claiming that sales of certain GSK Ellipta products infringed its patents.

Both parties entered into an agreement in 2010 under which GSK had taken a licence to formulation technology covered by a Vectura patent family.

Those licensed patents expired in July 2016. GSK had the option to license additional patent families under the original agreement but declined to do so, resulting in the filing of the lawsuit by Vectura.

The court awarded the damages on a calculation of three per cent of US sales of the infringing Ellipta products between August 2016 and December 2018.

In a company statement, Vectura said it is seeking an application of the three percent royalty on sales of the infringing Ellipta products until the end of the patent term in mid-2021.

Meanwhile GSK have the option to appeal the decision.

Ventura employ 450 staff around the world with 200 of them scientists involved in the development of products that alleviate bronchial and breathing ailments such as asthma. They estimate that nine million people use their inhalers and breathing products.

Mr Ward Lilley said their strategic focus and prioritisation remains to continue to develop their products.