Bayer Sues Lupin Over Natazia Birth-Control Pill Patent

A unit of German drugmaker Bayer AG (BAYN) sued India’s Lupin Ltd. in federal court alleging infringement of a U.S. patent for the birth-control pill Natazia.

Bayer Pharma AG, based in Berlin, contends Mumbai-based Lupin is planning to offer a generic copy of Natazia in the U.S. before the patent expires in 2026, according to a complaint filed yesterday in Wilmington, Delaware.

Bayer said it’s entitled to triple damages if Lupin markets the drug in violation of patent-protection laws.

Natazia tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use as an oral contraceptive and to treat pathologically heavy menstruation in women, according to the complaint.

“We do not comment on ongoing litigations as a matter of policy,” Lupin’s communications manager, Shamsher Gorawara, said today by e-mail.

The case is Bayer Pharma AG v. Lupin Ltd. (LPC), U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

To see the patent, click: 8,071,577.

To contact the reporter on this story: Phil Milford at pmilford@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net.