AstraZeneca sues Lupin on Nexium IV generic

AstraZeneca sued India’s Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. to prevent it from selling a generic form of the ulcer medicine Nexium IV in the U.S. before 2014. Sun is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell Nexium in a form that is delivered through intravenous injections. AstraZeneca claims the generic copy would infringe two patents that expire in May 2014 and November 2014. Nexium IV, first approved by regulators in 2005, is similar to the “purple pill” that is most commonly sold as a capsule. Nexium in all forms generated $2.84 billion in U.S. sales last year for the London-based company, AstraZeneca said Jan. 28. Global Nexium sales were $4.96 billion, making it AstraZeneca’s biggest seller. Nexium IV is a small part of sales and is typically given while people are in the hospital through an intravenous drip, said Blair Hains, a spokesman for the company. He said the company doesn’t break out sales of Nexium IV. AstraZeneca settled patent claims against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., with both agreeing not to sell the Nexium pill until 2014. Similar suits are still pending against Lupin Ltd. and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., AstraZeneca said.