Lilly Sues Cipla to Block Copy of Breast Cancer Drug Verzenio

Cipla Ltd.'s proposed copy of Verzenio infringes a patent for the blockbuster breast cancer treatment, Eli Lilly & Co. said in a federal lawsuit.

Cipla’s generic 50-, 100-, 150-, and 200-milligram tablets of abemaciclib, Verzenio’s active ingredient, infringe US Patent No. 7,855,211, Lilly alleged in a June 12 complaint in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

The patent, which expires in September 2031, covers the abemaciclib compound and its use in treating certain types of breast cancer. It’s the only patent listed for Verzenio in the US Food and Drug Administration’s registry of approved drugs, the ...