Indivior suffers legal setback in bid to fight off copycat drugs

INDIVIOR has been dealt a fresh blow in its battle to defend the patents on its top-selling US treatment for opioid addiction, Suboxone film.

The US Court of Appeals has granted rival Dr Reddy’s Laboratories permission to make an emergency appeal against an injunction preventing the rival drug maker from launching a generic version of the medicine.

The court has not yet ruled on the motion, but if approved, it would bring forward oral arguments in court over the matter to October, which could accelerate the timetable for the launch of rival products.

Indivior is locked in several legal battles with competitors to protect Suboxone. It is a dissolvable film that helps ween patients off addiction to opioids such as high-strength painkillers or illicit drugs such as heroin. Indivior said it would “continue to vigorously defend its patent rights” to Suboxone film and work to uphold the injunction.

The FTSE 250 company has been ploughing cash into the development of other treatments to diversify away

‘Indivior is committed to working to reduce the stigma of schizophrenia and expand access to evidence-based treatment’

from its reliance on Suboxone sales.

The company announced yesterday that it had separately won approval for a once-monthly, long-acting injection called Perseris to help treat the symptoms of schizophrenia in adults. It contains risperidone, a drug slowly released over a period of between four and six hours.

“The approval of Perseris brings us the opportunity to provide adult patients and their healthcare providers with an innovative treatment option that we believe will make a meaningful difference,” said Shaun Thaxter, chief executive of Indivior.

“People with schizophrenia face a complex patient journey that can be hindered by ignorance, apathy and stigma. Indivior is committed to working with stakeholders to reduce the stigma of schizophrenia and expand access to evidence-based treatment,” he added.

However, Indivior warned that its ongoing legal battles over Suboxone may delay the launch of the schizophrenia medicine.