Federal Court Protects Alimta Against Generic Competitor

Eli Lilly & Co. has won its case in Federal court in Delaware where it sought to protect its patent for the drug Alimta.  Alimta (pemetrexed for injection) now marketed by Eli Lilly & Co. (“Lilly”) was developed in clinical trials by Lilly in the early 1990s after it was discovered that disodium pemetrexed, the active ingredient of Alimta, was very effective when dosed in a concentrated liquid for treating mesothelioma and other forms of lung cancer.

Since its approval by the FDA in 2004, Alimta has been used in conjunction with another chemotherapy drug, Cisplatin, to treat patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Malignant pleural mesothelioma (“MPM”) is a form of cancer that forms in the lining of the lung and is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers.  Symptoms of mesothelioma typically do not begin to develop until decades after exposure, and after the cancer has reached advanced stages.

Treatment options for any late stage cancer but particularly mesothelioma are limited and cannot be curative so therefore focus on palliative relief and improving quality of life.   Standard therapies for mesothelioma include surgery (when possible,) chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Alimta is one of the most commonly used drugs in chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma.

The combination of Alimta and Cisplatin has been used to slow or shrink MPM in patients and has provided a treatment option in many cases where surgery was not an option due to the patient’s health or age.   Clinical trials offered through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are constantly searching for new combination therapies or drugs that might help lengthen survival times and improve quality of life.

The Federal court found that Eli Lilly & Co.’s patent would be infringed upon if Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries, Ltd. was allowed to market a generic version of Alimta in the United States.  Eli Lilly & Co. claimed their patent does not expire until 2016.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 28th, 2010 at 10:26 am and is filed under Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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Alimta Mesothelioma

alimta mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Treatment Web Sites

Mesothelioma is an unusual form of cancer of the mesothelial cells that line the lungs,Visit here http://mesotheliomatreatment-option.blogspot.com

 heart and the stomach. In recent times, in the U.S, there has been an alarming rise in the occurrence of mesothelioma cases mainly caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the heart is known as pericardium mesothelioma. When found in the sac that lines the chest or abdomen, it is called malignant mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that produces shortness of breath, coughing and even permanent lung damage. Many treatment programs for mesothelioma have been initiated with a purpose of curbing or curing the disease. There are a number of Web sites that provide information on various treatments of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma treatment depends on many factors that include the various stages of cancer, location, state of cancer, appearance of cancer cells and the patient?s age and requirements. Web sites on mesothelioma provide information on the different types of treatments including traditional care for malignant mesothelioma. This involves surgery that removes the cancer, chemotherapy that uses drugs to fight the cancer, and radiation therapy that uses high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.

Certain Web sites provide useful articles on experimental therapies for mesothelioma treatments, which include usage of the drug Alimta. They feature articles on various clinical trials and research studies that promise new or experimental mesothelioma treatments. These Web sites list typical treatment strategies based on different stages of mesothelioma.

Generally, Web sites of top cancer centers for mesothelioma treatment are listed alphabetically by state and are of great convenience to patients. People can register themselves online and consult top experts who after verifying their problem through a questionnaire, advice on appropriate drugs that help to cure mesothelioma. Many Web sites also provide information on victims of mesothelioma and their families. Patients of mesothelioma can share their experience with them and get emotional support. On the whole, mesothelioma treatment Web sites offer a great source of information that creates awareness about diverse treatment options available for mesothelioma.Visit here http://mesotheliomatreatment-option.blogspot.com

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Tags: alimta, asbestos, mesothelioma

This entry was posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2010 at 9:08 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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