A federal appeals court in New York ruled on Friday that Actavis cannot withdraw its top-selling Alzheimer's disease drug from the market in favour of a more expensive extended-release version.
The decision, at the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, is a victory for New York's attorney general, Eric T Schneiderman, who sued to block the switch, arguing that Actavis was trying to stifle competition from generic drug makers.
A three-judge panel upheld an order in December by Judge Robert W Sweet of Federal District Court that required Actavis to keep the older drug, Namenda IR, on the market. Actavis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
