To brand-name drug makers, Teva Pharmaceuticals is something of a Big Bad Wolf: I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your patents down!
Of course, Big Pharma is no defenseless little pig--just witness Novartis' successful (at least for now) shutdown [1] of Teva's copycat Famvir. Now, Roche is suing Teva for producing a generic version of its osteoporosis treatment Boniva [2], whose patents begin to expire in 2012. The drug racked up $314 million in sales just in the first half of 2007, so it's well worth the legal expense. Roche is asking a New Jersey court to keep Teva's generic version off the U.S. market.
- read the article [3] from the International Herald Tribune
Related Articles:
Novartis wins round on Famvir knockoff. Report [1]
Injectable Boniva approved. Report [4]
Researchers tout once-monthly Boniva data. Report [5]
Roche, GSK outline head-to-head trial of Boniva, Fosamax. Report [2]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/novartis-wins-round-famvir-knockoff/2007-09-10
[2] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/roche-gsk-outline-head-to-head-trial-of-boniva-fosamax/2005-09-27
[3] http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/11/business/EU-FIN-COM-Switzerland-Roche-Teva.php
[4] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/spotlight-injectable-boniva-approved/2006-01-09
[5] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/researchers-tout-once-monthly-boniva-data/2005-06-09