Bitter pill for Sun Pharma, Sanofi wins US drug ruling

Paris: French drugmaker Sanofi has scored an important victory in a patent dispute with Sun Pharmaceuticals that will keep generic copies of its Eloxatin colon cancer drug off the United States market until August 2012. [caption id=“attachment_87163” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“If Sun had prevailed, other generics manufacturers could have launched their own copies of Eloxatin. Reuters”]  [/caption] A ruling by the US District Court for the District of New Jersey maintained Sanofi’s market exclusivity for Eloxatin in the United States through 9 August, 2012, Sanofi said in a statement on Monday. Mumbai-based Sun had appealed an April 2010 ruling requiring the Indian company to stop selling its generic version of Eloxatin as of 30 June, 2010, Sanofi said. If Sun had prevailed, other generics manufacturers could have launched their own copies of Eloxatin before 9 August. Eloxatin sales were €248 million ($349 million) in the second quarter. Reuters