Dr. Reddy’s faces anti-trust litigation in U.S. over cancer drug Revlimid

A bottle of Revlimid and pills are seen at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and a few other drugmakers have been named defendants in a complaint filed in the U.S. under the Federal and State antitrust laws over cancer drug Revlimid.

“The complaint, which purports to be on behalf of a class of indirect purchasers, asserts claims under Federal and State antitrust laws and other State laws alleging that the defendants improperly restrained competition and maintained a shared monopoly in the sale of brand and generic Revlimid through their respective settlements of patent litigation,” Dr. Reddy’s said in a filing on Tuesday.

‘Delayed entry’

It has been alleged that the challenged agreements improperly delayed generic entry entirely until 2022 and then improperly limited generic competition through 2026. The complaint has sought damages for purported overpayments and equitable relief, the drugmaker said.

Dr. Reddy’s asserted that the allegations against it lack merit and that the company would ‘vigorously’ defend the litigation.

Besides Dr. Reddy’s and its wholly owned subsidiary Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc., Celgene, Bristol Myers Squibb and several generic pharmaceutical companies have been named defendants in the complaint filed on November 18 in the District of New Jersey, USA.

Earlier this month, Natco Pharma said it had been named as one of the defendants in an antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. regarding cancer drug Lenalidomide (Revlimid).

“Bristol Myers Squibb, Teva and Natco have been named defendants in an antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. by Walgreens Co. regarding Lenalidomide [Revlimid],” it had said on November 12, asserting that the matter was without merit.