Astellas files suit against Teva for patent infringement in the US
24 Sep 2009
Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc, annd its US affiliate Astellas Pharma US, have jointly filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the US against Israeli drug firm Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. a nd its US arm Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc over a possible patent infringement for a generic version of Astellas's solifenacin succinate tablets sold under the trademark Vesicare.
Vesicare is used for the treatment of overactive bladder conditions.
The patent infringement actionfiled in New York on 22 September 2009 requesting, among others, an order that the date of approval of Teva's ANDA should not be before the expiration of Astellas's US patent on solifenacin succinate, or on any later date of exclusivity that Astellas is or could be entitled to.
Astellas says solifenacin succinate was invented by it and has been marketed in approximately 50 countries / areas since it was launched in Europe in 2004.
In the US, Astellas Pharma US has been marketing and co-promoting the product with GlaxoSmithKline since 2005 under the brand name VESIcare, which is valid til 2018.
Astellas says it believes that its patent is valid and that it intended intends to enforce it against infringement.