Schering Sues Zhejiang Hisoar Pharmaceutical For Patent Infringement

Schering Corp. has sued three local firms in China - Zhejiang Hisoar Pharmaceutical, Zhejiang Hisoar Pharmaceutical Sales and Saniver Ltd - for patent infringement of its florfenicol antibiotics. Schering demands an immediate stop of its drug infringement and asks for RMB 500,000 in damages, on top of legal costs. Hisoar denies the charges and claims florfenicol is one of its key products. Analysts observe that many drug patent infringement lawsuits stem from the nation's low level of drug R&D. Domestic generic drugs increasingly threaten the market share of pharmaceutical MNCs' patented drugs, spurring the owners to file suits to contain their technology. Analysts observe that IP remains a sore point for local pharmaceutical industry's move toward internationalization. (Click here for more - Chinese Language)