Executive Summary
On June 4, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Federal Circuit in Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. v. Amarin Pharma, Inc., holding that Amarin failed to plausibly plead induced infringement under 35 U.S.C. §271(b).
The decision represents the most significant Supreme Court guidance on skinny-label induced infringement since Caraco and provides substantial protection for generic manufacturers pursuing Section viii carve-outs. Most importantly, the Court rejected the Federal Circuit’s recent trend of focusing on what physicians, pharmacists, or other readers might infer from a generic manufacturer’s statements. Instead, the Court held that the proper inquiry is whether the generic manufacturer itself engaged in affirmative, purposeful conduct designed to encourage infringement.