October 13 (SeeNews) - U.S. pharmaceuticals producer The Medicines Company said on Tuesday it has filed lawsuits against Croatian drug maker Pliva and two other companies over alleged patent infringement.
The lawsuits, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware against Pliva, U.S.-based Teva Parenteral Medicines and U.S.-based APP Pharmaceuticals, concern the sale of generic versions of the Angiomax drug prior to expiration of U.S. patent, The Medicine Company said in a statement. The respective patent was issued to The Medicines Company on September 1, 2009.
Pliva, part of Israeli-based Teva Group, said it would not comment on the lawsuits.
At the end of last year, Pliva (www.pliva.com) operated wholly-owned subsidiaries in 16 countries worldwide, the company's 2008 consolidated financial statement indicated.
Pliva's consolidated loss widened to 719.8 million kuna ($147.5 million/99.2 million euro) in the first half of 2009 from 103.8 million kuna a year earlier.
The company stock was last traded on the Zagreb bourse on October 5, closing 7.07% higher at 500.01 kuna.
(1 euro=7.2565 Croatian kuna)