Novo Nordisk announced today that the company has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer claiming that Pfizer's product Exubera(R) infringes patents owned by Novo Nordisk. The patents cover inhaled insulin treatment for diabetes.
The lawsuit, filed in United States Federal Court in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Pfizer willfully infringed the patents and seeks compensatory damages. Novo Nordisk also announced it intends to file a motion for preliminary injunction seeking a court order that would prohibit Pfizer from continuing its unlawful conduct while the lawsuit is in progress.
"Novo Nordisk has been leading the fight against diabetes for more than 80 years," said Jim Shehan, vice president and general counsel of Novo Nordisk Inc. "We are the only company in the industry with a complete portfolio of insulin analogues to help patients achieve improved control at any stage of their diabetes. We have been able to realize this accomplishment because the patent system enables pioneering companies like ours to continue innovating and pushing for progress in the fight against diseases like diabetes.
"The patents we are asserting are for groundbreaking research on new approaches to treat diabetes," he added. "As all research-based companies recognize, patent protection is necessary to safeguard the investment that biomedical research requires."
Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company with an 80-year history of innovation and achievement in diabetes care. In addition to diabetes care, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within areas such as hemostasis management, growth hormone therapy, and hormone therapy for women. Novo Nordisk's business is driven by the Triple Bottom Line: a commitment to economic success, environmental soundness, and social responsibility to employees and customers. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 22,500 full-time employees in 79 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'NVO'. For global information, visit novonordisk; for United States information, visit novonordisk-us.