MedImmune sues Abbott International over drug development dealMedImmune sues Abbott over drug development dealThe biotech sector fights for survival as its regulator tightens the reins, but some say there’s hope for change Follow this company has sued Abbott International LLC in federal court in Baltimore over a deal to market a new drug developed for preventing serious lower respiratory tract infections in infants.
According to the lawsuit, filed Aug. 21 in U.S. District Court, Abbott had a deal to market a new drug called motavizumab in countries outside the U.S. The drug was to be a successor to an earlier respiratory drug developed by Gaithersburg-based MedImmune, called Synagis, which has millions of dollars in sales in the U.S. alone. Abbott markets the existing injectable drug outside the U.S.
The suit alleges that Abbott breached a contract with MedImmune by deciding in March to discontinue developing motavizumab for markets outside the U.S. That includes failing to seek approvals from European pharmaceutical regulators, the suit said.
MedImmune put on hold its own efforts to seek approval to market motavizumab in the U.S. after the Food and Drug Administration told the company in August 2010 that it wanted additional clinical trials on the drug. The company is reviewing its options, said Tor Constantino, a MedImmune spokesman.
According to the lawsuit, Abbott claimed that under the contract, it is entitled to get a lower price from MedImmune for selling Synagis outside the U.S. MedImmune’s lawsuit asks the court to prevent that from happening until September 2012 at the earliest.
“We disagree with MedImmune’s interpretation of the contract,” said Scott Stoffel, a spokesman for Abbott. “We are working to resolve the matter.”
Karen Lancaster, a spokeswoman for MedImmune, declined to comment on the suit Monday.
Abbott International is part of Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories Abbott Laboratories Latest from The Business Journals MedImmune sues Abbott over drug development dealEIS finds spot in Citigroup’s Easton complexRegulation shift may hurt medical device makers Follow this company (NYSE: ABT).
MedImmune was acquired by British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca PLC AstraZeneca PLC Latest from The Business Journals MedImmune sues Abbott over drug development dealThe biotech sector fights for survival as its regulator tightens the reins, but some say there’s hope for changeFormer MedImmune exec becomes CEO of startup Follow this company (NYSE: AZN) in 2007 for $15.6 billion.
