Press Trust Of India / Mumbai Aug 19, 2009, 01:07 IST
Drug maker Glenmark Pharmaceuticals today said it was facing a lawsuit in a US District Court for a patent infringement case of an anti-malaria product.
Smithkline Beecham Corporation, a part of global pharma major Glaxosmithkline (GSK), has filed a patent infringement lawsuit on the company’s US subsidiary Glenmark Generics Inc in the District Court of Delaware, the Mumbai-headquartered firm said in a statement to stock exchanges.
The lawsuit is in connection with Glenmark’s intention to make generic versions of two tablets — Atovaquone and Proguanil hydrochloride — on which GSK holds a patent right.
GSK currently markets their product as ‘Malarone’ in the US for the treatment of malaria. According to an estimate, for the 12 months ended June, total sales of the product in the US is about $53 million.
In the event of Glenmark’s successfully challenging GSK’s patent, the company would be entitled for a 180-days exclusive marketing right of these tablets in the US.
Glenmark has already filed an application before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for manufacturing the generic versions of Atovaquone and Proguanil. The company believes it is the sole first applicant for these tablets.
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