Apotex' denied motion to restart Plavix sales

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has denied the motion by Apotex to stay the August 31, 2006, preliminary injunction issued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, which ordered the Canadian generic drugmaker to halt sales of its copy-cat version of the blockbuster blood thinner Plavix (clopidogrel).

The move was welcomed by the drug's originator, French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis, and its US licensee Bristol-Myers Squibb. Apotex had sought the stay pending its appeal of the preliminary injunction. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has set an expedited schedule for Apotex' appeal of the preliminary injunction, with the hearing of oral arguments scheduled for October 31, 2006.