Merck KGaA Sues Intas to Block Accord Unit’s Copy of Mavenclad

Merck KGaA alleges that a generic version of Mavenclad proposed by Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.’s Accord Healthcare Inc. infringes two patents for the multiple sclerosis treatment, according to a federal lawsuit in Delaware.

Accord wants to sell copies of Mavenclad’s 10-milligram tablets of cladribine, the drug’s active ingredient, before the patents expire, according to a complaint filed Monday in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.

Each patent covers an orally administered regimen of using cladribine for treating MS. One patent expires in October 2026, according to the US Food and Drug Administration’s registry of approved drugs, called the ...