Unigen Moves to Protect Patents

LACEY, Wash.— Unigen Pharmaceuticals announced it filed a suit in U.S. District Court, Seattle, alleging Target Corp. violated Unigen’s patents on products containing scutellaria and Acacia catechu, and seeking a permanent injunction and undisclosed damages. The suit contends Target is selling two dietary supplements in the joint health category in violation of the patents.

Unigen (www.UnigenPharma.com) also announced it reached a settlement in a case brought in the same court against Leiner Health Products and Safeway, alleging violation of the same patents and ingredients. Leiner had produced private label products for retailers, including Safeway, using the ingredients in joint care products. In the settlement, Leiner admitted the validity of the patents and agreed not to sell any more products containing the disputed ingredients while the patents are in force, unless it received a license to do so from Unigen. At this time, Schiff Nutrition is the only authorized licensee of the ingredients in the food/drug/mass arena.

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