Pfizer has named Alembic Pharmaceutical Ltd and Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc as codefendants in a Paragraph IV lawsuit regarding their ANDA desvenlafaxine succinate extended-release tablets 50mg and 100mg, a generic version of Pristiq. Both the companies filed their Paragraph IV ANDA on the first-possible submission date and expects to share 180-day exclusivity with other ANDA first filers. Alembic is the sponsor and manufacturer of the ANDA, which will be marketed exclusively by Breckenridge.

Desvenlafaxine is a prescription drug that is indicated for the treatment of depression. Desvenlafaxine is in a class of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Pristiq generated sales of $577 million in 2011, based on industry sales data,with eventual projected sales of $1 billion annually.