Lupin has filed a second suit in the US against Ranbaxy Laboratories to prevent the country’s largest drugmaker from launching fenofibrate, a generic version of Lupin’s cholesterol lowering drug Antara in the US. The second lawsuit pertains to a new patent Lupin received in January from the US patent authority. It has been filed by a Swiss arm of the Mumbai-based drugmaker, Lupin Atlantis Holdings SA in the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Lupin acquired rights to sell Antara in the world’s largest drug market from bankrupt American firm Oscient Pharmaceuticals in September 2009 for $38.61 million. Antara recorded net sales of $70 million in 2008. Lupin itself had challenged Oscient’s rights to sell Antara in the US before acquiring the drug. Fenofibrate products have a market of over $1.9 billion in the US. Antara has a small share of just around 5% and its sales are reportedly growing at around 20% a year.crackcrack
