DILTIAZEM PROCESS PATENT AFFIRMED

Marion Merrell Dow and Tanabe Seiyaku have won a favorable ruling from the US Patent and Trademark Office regarding Tanabe's patent on the manufacturing process for diltiazem. The decision is a key step in the two companies' efforts to protect the product from generic competition in the USA.

MMD and Tanabe have reapproached the International Trade Commission to ask it to resume its role in a complaint filed by MMD and Tanabe against several overseas producers of diltiazem and several US companies that market products using the ingredients made by the overseas producers. MMD notes that a trial could begin by the third quarter of the year.