Johnson & Johnson, Synaptech file lawsuit against Barr over Razadyne ER

Johnson & Johnson and Synaptech filed a lawsuit against Barr in the US related to a patent for Alzheimer's drug Razadyne ER (galantamine hydrobromide). Barr believes that it was the first to submit an application to the FDA for a generic version of the treatment.

Barr filed its application to market a generic version of Razadyne ER in March, and after the FDA accepted its filing, Barr notified Johnson & Johnson and Synaptech that it was challenging the drug's patent. The compound, which is approved to treat patients with mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Alzheimer's, was launched in the US in May 2005.

Last year, Barr also challenged the companies' patents protecting the immediate-release formulation of the drug, and litigation is still pending, news sources report.

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