Roche Holding AG sued Pfizer in a move to prevent a biosimilar version of its breast cancer drug Herceptin from entering the U.S. market, according to Bloomberg.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in a Delaware federal court, claims that Pfizer will violate 40 patents by selling a copy of Roche's breast cancer drug. In addition, if Pfizer launches its product in the U.S. before Herceptin patents expire, Roche is seeking compensation for any lost revenue.
Roche's Herceptin, which was approved by the FDA in 1998, uses an antibody to target the mechanism that makes breast cancer aggressive. Pfizer is currently looking for FDA approval for its proposed biosimilar of Herceptin, called PF-05280014.
"We will respond in court at the appropriate time," Pfizer spokesman Thomas Biegi told Bloomberg. "We're committed to making this important treatment option available to physicians and patients."
In recent years, Roche Holdings has been facing increased pressure as cheaper biosimilars of its complex cancer medicines enter into the market, chipping away at its revenue.