Allergan sues Famy Care over dry eye drug

Pharmaceutical company Allergan has sued India-based Famy Care, accusing it of infringing a patent covering a drug used to treat chronic dry eye.

Allergan said Famy Care attempted to market and sell a generic version of its Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) drug.

The complaint, filed at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, was in response to Famy Care’s Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) filed at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In the complaint, filed on Tuesday, April 12, Allergan said Famy Care filed for the application earlier this year, though an exact date has not been named.

Allergan has asserted six of its patents, US numbers 8,629,111; 8,633,162; 8,642,556; 8,648,048; 8,685,930; and 9,248,191, and is seeking a judgement that Famy Care’s ANDA was an act of infringement and will contribute to actual infringement if approved.

Allergan is also seeking damages, attorneys’ fees and costs.