Nissan Chemical and Kowa to sue generic drugmakers over Livalo patent infringements

30 December 2013

With the commencement this year of manufacturing and selling generic copies of the hypercholesterolemia agent Livalo (pitavastatin) , manufactured and sold by privately-held Japanese drugmaker Kowa, the latter, along with Nissan Chemical (TYO: 40121) intend to bring legal actions against the generic drug marketing authorization holders.

Nissan Chemical consequently filed complaints dated December 25, 2013 against the following entities with Tokyo District Court, seeking injunctive relief to cease and desist from infringing upon the Patents: Daito Pharmaceutical, Mochida Pharmaceutical, Kobayashi Kako, Meiji Seika Pharma, Towa Pharmaceutical, Tsuruhara Pharmaceutical and Kaken Pharmaceutical.

These companies obtained the marketing approval of the generic drugs of Livalo on August 15, 2013, and then started, or have announced plans to start the sale of the drug.

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