AstraZeneca files suit against Ranbaxy

AstraZeneca has filed a lawsuit in the district court of New Jersey against Ranbaxy for "willful infringement" of its patent for acidity drug Esomeprazole Magnesium (marketed as Nexium).

The company, in a statement on its website, said the lawsuit was in response to an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) filed by Ranbaxy with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) regarding its intent to market a generic version of Nexium prior to the expiry of six patents.

"The expiration date for AstraZeneca's patents range from 2014 through 2019, and the company had full confidence and will continue vigorously to defend and enforce its intellectual property rights protecting Nexium," the statement added.

Ranbaxy officials were not availabe for comment.