Drugmakers Add Another Patent to Infringement Lawsuit Against Sandoz

Three drugmakers suing Sandoz for infringing a patent for the gastrointestinal drug Linzess accused the company of infringing on an additional patent this week.

In December 2016, Allergan joined Forest Laboratories and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals in a lawsuit against Sandoz, Teva, Mylan and Aurobindo, filed in the District of Delaware. On Tuesday, the plaintiffs added another patent to the complaint, arguing Sandoz infringed on nearly 30 claims on the ‘371 patent for Allergan and Ironwood’s drug.

Sandoz, the lawsuit claims, recently amended its ANDA for a Linzess generic to claim the patent was invalid and unenforceable. The patent at issue is not set to expire until 2033, and the lawsuit asks for an injunction against manufacturing Linzess generics before then.