Amarin Alleges Omthera Violated Patent with Epanova Drug

   By Everdeen Mason 
 

Amarin Corp. (AMRN) filed a complaint Tuesday against rival Omthera Pharmaceuticals and its owner AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP (AZN), claiming that its soon-to-launch cholesterol drug Epanova violates one of Amarin's patents.

Amarin said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued it a patent that covers methods of lowering triglycerides by administering a pharmaceutical composition that includes amounts of EPA as free acid and no more than about 30% DHA. The biopharmaceutical company said the upcoming launch of Epanova, a treatment for patients with severe hypertriglyceridaemia, violates that patent.

A representative from AstraZeneca wasn't available for comment.

Omthera, acquired by AstraZeneca last year, submitted a new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Epanova last year, and received approval in September.

Amarin said in a Securities and Exchange filing Tuesday that it intends to pursue litigation vigorously and will aggressively protect its intellectual property rights.

Amarin and AstraZeneca shares closed Monday at $1.73 and $66.90 a share respectively, and were inactive premarket.

Write to Everdeen Mason at [e-mail]

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