The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the validity of a patent held by Takeda Pharmaceuticals for a dissolvable acid reflux medication, but held a generic alternative does not infringe the patent.

Prevacid SoluTab allows a patient to dissolve the medication in their mouth before swallowing it. Takeda specialized the medication by enhancing its dissolution into small enough granules to prevent patients from suffering a rough feeling on their throat as they swallow it.