Two drug makers went head to head in a legal battle. The maker’s of a popular allergy medication, Patanol, sued another drug maker for trying to sell a generic form of their drug. A judge sided with Alcon Global Marketing, the maker’s of Patanol, telling the competitors they could not sell any form of the drug until the patent runs out on Patanol in 2015. An Indianapolis federal judge rejected claims that the patent was invalid or unenforceable.
“We are pleased with the court’s decision affirming the validity and enforceability of the Patanol patent,” said Stuart Raetzman, Area President US and Vice President Global Marketing, Alcon. “Alcon invested many years and millions of dollars in the discovery and development of an ocular allergy product that would stabilize mast cells in the eye and provide long-term relief of the signs and symptoms of ocular allergies. Today’s court decision is an important milestone to defend Alcon’s intellectual property rights.”
According to a press release put out by the maker’s of Patanol, their drug is “the world’s leading prescription eye drop used to treat the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, including itching, redness, chemosis, tearing, and lid swelling. Today, the Patanol family of products account for more than three out of every four prescriptions written for ocular allergies in the US.”
About Patanol
The medication is most commonly prescribed to treat pink eye, an itchy infection of the eyelids. Patanol is dropped in the eyes twice a day about 6 to 8 hours apart. According to the Patanol website, side effects including headaches have been reported in 7% of users and symptoms similar to a cold were reported in about 10% of users. Patanol is also prescribed to allergy sufferers to battle the typical symptoms brought on by allergies.
