BRIEF: Teva launches generic Lamictal in US: The company lost its appeal in the US to market generic Aciphex.

Jul 23, 2008 (Globes - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- TEVA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA; TASE: TEVA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) had mixed news today. The company began US deliveries of generic Lamictal, but also lost its appeal against Eisei Company Ltd. to market generic Aciphex.

Teva's Lamotrigine tablets are the generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE; LSE: GSK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) Lamictal treatment for partial seizures and the generalized seizures of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, as well as for treating Bipolar I Disorder. Teva will have marketing exclusivity through January 2009.

According to IMS sales data, branded Lamictal had $2.2 billion in US sales in the year through March 2008. Teva and GlaxoSmithKline settled patent litigation over the drug in February 2005.

In a separate development today, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the US District Court for the Southern District of New York's summary judgment ruling in favor of Eisai's patent for Aciphex and enforcement of it. The lawsuit dates to November 2003 when Eisai sued Teva and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. (NYSE: RDY; BSE: 500124).

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