Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, a Rs 5,700 crore pharma major from Vadodara, Gujarat, has lost the legal battle against sanofi-aventis in respect of Eloxatin (oxaliplatin) in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey. The court has ruled in favour of Sanofi US regarding a contractual dispute arising from the resolution of eloxatin patent litigation.

Sun had appealed the District Court’s April 2010 ruling requiring Sun to cease selling its at-risk generic oxaliplatin products as of June 30, 2010. In December 2010 the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated the District Court’s ruling and remanded the case to the District Court of New Jersey for further consideration.

The District Court’s latest ruling maintains Eloxatin’s US market exclusivity through August 9, 2012. Sanofi remains committed to Eloxatin as an important therapeutic option for healthcare professionals treating patients with colorectal cancer.