Posted on 03 June 2010 - pharmafeed
Biogen Idec is suing the makers of multiple sclerosis drugs that, like its own Avonex treatment, are forms of beta interferon.
The biotech claims in a suit filed Friday that drugs sold by companies including Pfizer, Bayer AG and Novartis violate a patent on the use of beta interferon granted last fall, Dow Jones Newswires reports. (A Bayer spokeswoman said the company will defend itself against the suit; a Novartis spokesman had no comment, and Pfizer officials couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, DJN says.)
Biogen doesn’t want the other products — sold as Rebif, Betaseron and Extavia — yanked from the market, but is seeking damages including lost profits from earlier sales and a royalty on sales. A Bayer lawsuit filed last Thursday says Biogen is seeking as much as 8.5% of Betaseron sales, Bloomberg News reports.
Betaseron had about $1.4 billion in sales last year, Rebif had $1.9 billion and Extavia, new to the U.S. market in 2009, posted sales of $49 million, DJN says. Avonex leads the category, with $2.3 billion in 2009 sales.
Beta interferon treatments can cost north of $25,000 a year, DJN says, and the side effects include flu-like symptoms. Earlier this year, researchers reported progress on a test that might help pinpoint MS patients who’d benefit from the treatments.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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