Sanofi fighting generic drugs tooth and nail in US courts

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2006

PARIS (AFP) — The French pharmaceuticals group Sanofi-Aventis is turning to vigorous legal action to protect its best-selling drugs in the United States from cheaper generic competition.

"We are sure of our patents," a spokesman for Sanofi-Aventis, the world's third largest drug group, said Wednesday.

Sanofi announced it was suing Sandoz, the generics unit of the Swiss group Novartis and one of the world's biggest "copycat" drug companies, over plans to launch a generic version of the anti-coagulant drug Lovenox.

Lovenox is Sanofi-Aventis's biggest selling product, generating first half sales of 1.24 billion euros (1.6 million dollars), including 765 million euros in the US market, out of total group sales of 14.12 billion euros.

Since Lovenox was...