Abbott Laboratories sues Mylan for AIDS drug 'Kaletra' patent dispute

Abbott Laboratories accused rival Mylan Inc. of infringing two U.S. patents for the AIDS drug Kaletra. Kaletra is a combination of two anti-HIV drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir used for the treatment of HIV infectionm. Abbott contends that Mylan plans to sell low-cost generic copies of Kaletra tablets before the patents expire in 2021, according to complaints filed in federal courts in Delaware and Chicago.

"Abbott will be irreparably harmed" if generic versions of the drug aren't blocked by a judge, Abbott claimed in the Chicago suit.

The lawsuits were filed after Mylan announced that its India-based Matrix Laboratories Ltd. had received tentative U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the tablets under the president's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.