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US-based Forest Laboratories Inc and Forest laboratories Holding have said that along with Royalty Pharma they have filed lawsuits against several firms including Lupin and Ranbaxy for infringement of patents related to Savella.
The joint lawsuits have been filed in the Court for the District of Delaware, Forest Laboratories said in a statement on the company's web site.
"The defendants named in the lawsuits include Apotex Corp, Hetero USA Inc, Lupin Ltd, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc, Par Pharmaceuticals Inc, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, and related companies and subsidiaries," it said.
"Forest and Royalty Pharma received notification from these companies that they had filed Abbreviated New Drug Applications with Paragraph IV certifications seeking approval to market generic versions of Savella before the expiration of the '911 patent, the '342 patent, and the '220 patent," it added.
Savella is used to treat a chronic pain disorder called fibromyalgia. The generic durg companies file an ANDA with a Paragraph IV certification as it gives generic companies 180 days of market exclusivity.
The lawsuits were commenced before the expiration of 45 days from the date of receipt of each notification letter, Forest Laboratories said.
