Sanofi-Aventis Files Suit Against Teva Subsidiary for Patent Infringement

Sanofi-aventis is facing a new patent challenge to blood-thinning agent Lovenox -- this time in Canada.

Sanofi-aventis announced that its subsidiaries, Aventis Pharma and Aventis Pharma S.A., will be bringing suit in federal court against Canadian generic drugmaker, Novopharm, for infringement of Canadian Patent No. 2045433, which covers Lovenox (enoxaparin sodium). Novopharm, a subsidiary of Israel-based generics firm Teva Pharmaceutical, recently obtained marketing approval for generic enoxaparin from the Canadian Ministry of Health.

Novapharm's patent challenge is one of several that sanofi-aventis is facing over Lovenox. In August 2003, Aventis sued generic drugmakers Amphastar and Teva Pharmaceutical for alleged patent infringement in their bids to market generic versions of Lovenox in the U.S. The suit was filed in federal court over sanofi-aventis' Lovenox patent that expires in February 2012.

Lovenox, which is intended to treat thrombotic episodes like myocardial infarction, was sanofi-aventis' top-selling drug in 2004, generating global sales of $2.6 billion.