Sanofi: US Court Bans Sun Selling Generic Eloxatin For A Spell
23 Avril 2010 - 4:54PM
Dow Jones News
Sanofi-Aventis (SNY, SAN.FR) Friday said a U.S. court has banned
India-based Sun Pharmaceuticals (524715.BY) from selling a generic
copy of the French drug maker's cancer medicine Eloxatin from late
June through mid-2012.
Sanofi earlier this month settled a series of patent
infringement suits with other generic drug makers of the drug.
Copycat versions of Eloxatin were launched last August in the
U.S. after a court there in June ruled that generic drugmakers who
had challenged the Eloxatin patent did not infringe Sanofi's
patents. Generic alternatives ate into the company's business, and
Eloxatin sales last year dropped 35% to EUR957 million from a year
earlier.
Earlier this year, Sanofi settled patent-infringement suits
related to Eloxatin with Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical
Industries Ltd (TEVA), Germany's Fresenius Kabi Oncology Ltd.
(532545.BY), Novartis AG's (NVS) generics unit Sandoz of
Switzerland, Hospira Inc's (HSP) Mayne Pharma Ltd, Par
Pharmaceutical Companies Inc (PRX) and its partner MN
Pharmaceuticals, and Iceland-based Actavis.
The six generic drug makers will stop selling unauthorized
versions of Eloxatin, whose generic name is oxaliplatin, in the
U.S. between June 30, 2010 and August 9, 2012, after which the
companies can sell their products under license.
Sanofi Friday said the order to stop Sun Pharmaceuticals from
selling its generic version of Eloxatin came from U.S. District
Court for the District of New Jersey. By Mimosa Spencer, Dow Jones
Newswires; +33 1 40 17 17 73; mimosa.spencer@dowjones.com