Aug. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Roche Holding AG, the maker of the tumor medicine Avastin, sued Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. and three other companies to block U.S. sales of a generic version of Boniva, a once-a-month treatment for osteoporosis.

Teva is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell a low-cost version of the drug, whose chemical name is ibandronate sodium. It is in a class of medicines known as oral bisphosphonates. Roche contends the sales would infringe patents expiring in 2019 and 2023.

Roche also filed separate lawsuits against Cobalt Laboratories Inc., based in Bonita Springs, Florida, Mutual Pharmaceutical Co., based in Philadelphia, and Genpharm LP, based in Hauppauge, New York. Roche seeks a court order that would prevent the companies from selling the generic Boniva until the patent expires.

Representatives from the companies didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.

The cases are Hoffman-La Roche Inc. v. Mutual Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., 08-4060, Hoffman-La Roche Inc. v. Cobalt Pharmaceuticals Inc., 08-4054, Hoffman-La Roche Inc. v. Genpharm Inc., 08-4052, and Hoffman-La Roche Inc. v. Gate Pharmaceuticals, 08-4058, U.S. District Court for New Jersey (Newark).

To contact the reporter on this story: William McQuillen in Washington at bmcquillen@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 15, 2008 17:51 EDT