# Hikma accuses Amarin of suppressing generic versions of heart pill Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2023-02-23 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA sues Amarin for delaying generic Meta Description: Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc has sued Amarin Pharma Inc for using illegal tactics to delay generic competition for heart drug Vascepa, claiming Amarin URL: https://financedigest.com/hikma-accuses-amarin-of-suppressing-generic-versions-of-heart-pillhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2023-02-22t220541z1lynxmpej1l0xbrtroptp3germany-pharmaceuticals-shortages-proposal-1736814419185-compressed.jpg) By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – Generic drugmaker Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc has sued Amarin Pharma Inc, accusing it of using illegal tactics to delay generic competition for its heart drug Vascepa. In a complaint filed Tuesday in Trenton, New Jersey federal court, Hikma claimed that Amarin “deliberately and meticulously locked up the supply” of the key ingredient needed to make generic Vascepa in order to maintain a monopoly. London-based Hikma eventually launched the first generic version of Vascepa in November 2020, but it said that Amarin’s tactics delayed the launch by months, and initially [prevented Hikma from supplying](https://www.financedigest.com/the-dental-preventive-supplies-market-to-grow-on-a-savored-innovative-note.html "The Dental Preventive Supplies Market To Grow On A Savored Innovative Note") enough of its generic to compete meaningfully with the branded version. New Jersey-based Amarin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company was already [facing a similar lawsuit](https://www.financedigest.com/wave-of-lawsuits-over-ftx-expected-but-investors-will-face-legal-hurdles.html "‘Wave’ of lawsuits over FTX expected, but investors will face legal hurdles") filed in 2021 in the same court by Indian generic drugmaker Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, which remains pending. Vascepa, derived from fish oil, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lower so-called “bad” cholesterol and [reduce the risk](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-businesses-need-to-embrace-payment-technologies-to-reduce-financial-damage-risk.html "UK businesses need to embrace payment technologies to reduce financial damage risk") of cardiovascular disease generally. It is Amarin’s only product. The drug brought Amarin $598 million in 2020, but sales have since fallen as generics have entered the market, forcing the company to [cut its workforce last year](https://www.financedigest.com/inpost-sees-better-margin-in-poland-plans-no-job-cuts-this-year.html "InPost sees better margin in Poland, plans no job cuts this year"). The company said in a 2020 statement to investors that Vascepa had been prescribed more than 8 million [times since](https://www.financedigest.com/soccer-arsenal-reach-womens-champions-league-semis-for-first-time-since-2013.html "Soccer-Arsenal reach Women’s Champions League semis for first time since 2013") its 2013 U.S. launch. Amarin initially sought to block competitors by suing Hikma and Dr. Reddy’s for patent infringement after they sought FDA approval to sell [generic versions of the drug](https://www.financedigest.com/generic-oncology-drugs-market-2021-global-leading-companies-analysis-revenue-trends-and-forecasts-2027.html "Generic Oncology Drugs Market 2021 Global Leading Companies Analysis, Revenue, Trends and Forecasts 2027"), but lost after a Nevada judge ruled its patents obvious. The U.S. Supreme [Court in 2021 rejected Amarin’s bid](https://www.financedigest.com/glencore-courts-120-teck-investors-for-bid-backing-as-spinoff-vote-looms-source.html "Glencore courts 120 Teck investors for bid backing as spinoff vote looms -source") to revive the patents. Hikma said that even after [losing the patent case](https://www.financedigest.com/amazon-loses-bid-to-throw-out-case-by-uk-drivers-seeking-worker-rights.html "Amazon loses bid to throw out case by UK drivers seeking worker rights"), Amarin held on to its monopoly by entering into exclusive agreements with suppliers of the active ingredient, icosapent ethyl, that prevented the suppliers from selling to any other companies. Hikma called the agreements an “illegal anticompetitive strategy to prevent, delay, and frustrate generic competition and maintain its monopoly [power and prices](https://www.financedigest.com/belgium-supports-energy-price-caps-suspending-trading-in-eu-power-crunch.html "Belgium supports energy price caps, suspending trading in EU power crunch") for Vascepa” and said it ran afoul of the federal Sherman Act and New Jersey antitrust law. The case is Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc v. Amarin Pharma Inc, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, No. 3:23-cv-01016. For Hikma: Charles Klein of Winston & Strawn and others For Amarin: not available Read more: U.S. [Supreme Court](https://www.financedigest.com/court-fees-and-access-to-justice-the-impact-of-the-supreme-courts-decision-on-lenders.html "Court fees and access to justice:  the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision on lenders") denies Amarin’s bid to revive Vascepa drug patents Amarin to slash jobs as generic rivals dull U.S. prospects of heart drug (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; editing by Alexia Garamfalvi) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---