Meijer, Inc. v. Ferring B.V.

JOHN M. WALKER, JR., Circuit Judge:

This ease presents a novel question of standing that lies at the junction of antitrust and patent law. The plaintiffs, direct purchasers of desmopressin acetate tablets (sold under the name DDAVP), filed this class action in the Southern District of New York (Charles L. Brieant, Judge) against the defendants Ferring B.V., Fer-ring Pharmaceuticals (collectively, “Fer-ring”), and Aventis Pharmaceuticals (“Aventis”), alleging that Ferring and Aventis abused the patent system to unlawfully maintain a monopoly over DDAVP. Ferring developed, patented, and…