Lilly beset by potential Strattera imitators

Strattera poachers are besieging Eli Lilly on all sides. Sandoz, the Novartis generics unit, is challenging Lilly's patent on the hyperactivity drug, set to expire in 2017, in federal court. Sandoz is seeking a pre-emptive ruling to protect its copycat version of Strattera. This comes after Lilly filed suit against Iceland-based Actavis Group to block that company's Strattera generic. And no wonder Lilly's so protective: the drug generated $282 million for the company during the first half of 2007.

- here's the report