Alzheimer's Patients Score Major Victory in Namenda(R) Lawsuit

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(Image Attribution: Bill Brooks - Creative Commons Flickr)

On Friday afternoon, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed an injunction against Actavis, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Namenda®. Namenda is prescribed to those with mid to late stage Alzheimer’s to slow the progression of the disease. The injunction effectively forces Actavis to continue manufacturing its original formulation until its patent expires in July.

HISTORY OF THE LAWSUIT

Last summer, Actavis announced that it was stopping production of the original Namenda in the fall of 2014, and would only make its new, extended release version, Namenda XR. It launched a campaign urging patients and physicians to immediately switch their prescriptions to Namenda XR. By switching users to the newer formulation, Actavis hoped to extend its patent protection and the high drug prices that accompany that protection, for another 10 years. Namenda is one of the most successful drugs made by Actavis, generating $1.5 billion in sales last year.

The New York Attorney General sued Actavis for violations of anti-trust law in September, and in December, a federal court issued an injunction against Actavis, requiring it to continue to manufacture the original Namenda pending the resolution of the lawsuit. Actavis appealed, and the ruling on Friday is the result of the appeal.

To see the full implications of this update in the lawsuit see the full post: http://whiteoakcottages.com/alzheimers-patients-score-major-victory-in-namenda-lawsuit/