Sunday, June 22, 2008

Ranbaxy to settle with Takeda over Actos (pioglitazone)?

The Business-Standard reports:

The Indian drug major [Ranbaxy] , which last week announced a high-profile patent settlement deal with Pfizer on Lipitor, the world's largest selling drug, may now review its litigation with Japan's Takeda on Actos (pioglitazone).

The blockbuster medicine for diabetes clocked annual sales of over $1 billion in the US alone. Ranbaxy is known to be the first one to have challenged the patent of Actos and expects a six-month marketing exclusivity in the US.


If the report is correct, it would appear that there is a major patent litigation strategy shift at Ranbaxy.

See also


Pfizer, Ranbaxy settle Lipitor matter


****Also note article on July 5-->

Even almost a month after the Singh family exited the company [Ranbaxy], nobody seems to have a clear idea why they decided to sell their entire stake. Analysts, experts and sources close to the company have given their own version behind the move. However, one fact was that the generic industry was becoming a hugely competitive space both globally and in the domestic market.

(...)

According to sources closely tracking developments in the country’s largest pharma company, there were also operational and managerial challenges Ranbaxy was fighting. In addition, the group company had a good alternative in other businesses such as the financial services company Religare — a hassle-free and lucrative business compared with the complex pharma sector. More importantly, Daiichi Sankyo’s offer of Rs 737 per share (a 31.4% over the company share price a day before the announcement) was an attractive offer that any promoter would have considered anyway.

(...)

Ranbaxy also realised that betting on the first to file challenges alone, which give generic companies exclusive marketing rights for 180 days, was not going to take the company to its target. The company had even decided to hive off the new drug discovery division into a separate company. It is believed that Ranbaxy and Daiichi were initially exploring a strategic partnership for the new research unit.

QUERY-->

In view of the paradigm shift at Ranbaxy, what happens to Jay R. Deshmukh and George E. Heibel?

UPDATE

Jay joined Knobbe, a patent firm which represented Ranbaxy. See
GENERIC PHARMACEUTICAL ATTORNEY JAY DESHMUKH JOINS KNOBBE MARTENS PARTNERSHIPL

Jay R. Deshmukh has joined Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, LLP as a partner in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. He will focus his practice on generic pharmaceutical counseling and litigation.

Former Senior Vice President of Global IP at Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, an international generic pharmaceutical company, Deshmukh was responsible for the creation of the company’s global IP department, which grew to more than 50 employees. He has extensive experience in the area of generic pharmaceuticals, including the Abbreviated New Drug Application Process and the complexities of litigation involving pharmaceuticals under the Hatch-Waxman Act. He also has immense experience counseling generic pharmaceutical companies regarding the best strategy they should pursue to launch new products.

1 Comments:

Blogger Rahul Makhija said...

Ranbaxy will definitely have a more level playing in other market as well as india due to the recent marger with Daichi-Sanyo

See you guys at: Management Community

2:35 PM  

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