Wyeth sued a U.S. generic-drug making unit of Switzerland's Novartis AG (Sandoz) alleging infringement of a 2002 patent for the oral contraceptive Lybrel.
Lybrel, which went on sale in July, leaves women without any menstrual periods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration delayed release of the drug for 11 months to gather more data about pregnancy rates and bleeding problems among women who took the drug.
Wyeth, based in Madison, New Jersey, contends Sandoz Inc. applied to market a copy of Wyeth's one-dose-a-day hormonal pill before the patent expires, according to federal court papers.
At issue is patent 6,500,814, issued in December 2002. The application was filed in June 2000, and Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear of Irvine, California handled the application.
Wyeth sued generics maker Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. in federal court in Delaware in March for infringing the patent.
The complaint can be read here.
(Source:www.bloomberg.com)
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