Strides to settle patent dispute with Astella

Only about three weeks back, Astellas had filed a patent suit against Sagent Strides, a joint venture between the two companies ? Strides Arcolab and Sagent Pharma in the district court of New Jersey in the US.

Sagent Pharma is a specialty injectible firm based out of US. This product would be launched under the partnership between Strides and Sagent Pharmaceuticals wherein Strides is developing and supplying more than 25 injectable products for the US market which is marketed by Sagent. In June, Astella alleged that Sagent Strides, by attempting to manufacture and market the generic version of Adenoscan, would be infringing the innovator firm?s patent coverage of the drug, while Sagent Strides asserted in court that the concerned patent was invalid and unenforceable. Astella is the exclusive licensee of the US use of patents with regard to adenosine injection, which are owned by US-based King Pharma. The Japanese firm has been marketing the injection in US since 1995.

A Strides Arcolab spokesperson told FE, ?We cannot comment on the issue as the matter is still subjudice.? The terms of the patent settlement, which includes clauses on whether Sagent Strides, would be able to market the generic version of the drug in the US before expiration of concerned patent are not clear as yet. Strides gained US Food and Drug Administration approval for various package sizes of the drug in 2010 and early 2011.

Earlier, Astellas, which has been defending the concerned patent (296) with all its might, has settled patent litigation regarding the same drug with Israeli generic drugmaker Teva. The Japanese firm has entered into a settlement with Teva in 2007, which provides Teva with a license to market a generic version of Adenoscan in September 2012. The concerned patent (296), however, would expire only in March 2015.

Adenosine is an antiarrhythmic drug, used to bring the heart back into a normal rhythm in special cases.