ASTELLAS SUES SPANISH GENERIC COMPANIES FOR INFRINGEMENT OF PATENT ON OMNIC CAPSULE

Astellas Pharma Europe, Ltd., the European affiliate of Astellas Pharma Inc. (Astellas), announced that Astellas instituted legal proceedings at the Juzgados de los Mercantil of Madrid against the generic pharmaceutical companies Ratiopharm España, S.A., Laboratorio Stada, S.L., Laboratorios Edigen, S.A., Merck Genéricos, S.L., Bexal Famacéutica, S.A., Sandoz Farmacéutica, S.A., and Teva Genéricos España, S.L., who have launched or are expected to launch modified-release hard capsules with the active ingredient tamsulosin hydrochloride on the Spanish market. Astellas is the holder of a Spanish patent protecting a galenic process for manufacturing pharmaceuticals with the active ingredient tamsulosin hydrochloride.

PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=176103)