Flomax

Astellas, Boehringer sue Impax over urinary treatment

Astellas Pharma Inc., Japan's second- largest drugmaker, and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH of Germany sued Impax Laboratories Inc., claiming a violation of the patent on the Flomax urinary-disorder treatment in the U.S.

The companies filed the suit at U.S. District Court, Northern California, on July 18, Tokyo-based Astellas said today in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Flomax was created by Astellas and is sold in 91 countries. The Japanese company received 46.7 billion yen ($438 million) of royalties from the drug in the year ended March 31 in the U.S., where Boehringer Ingelheim sells the medicine. The product is scheduled to lose patent protection in October next year.

Astellas and Boehringer Ingelheim, the world's largest privately held drugmaker, announced the lawsuit after the market closed in Tokyo.

(Published by Bloomberg - july 22, 2008)