INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Eli Lilly and Co. has filed a federal suit
against four generic drugmakers to protect its patent for the
antidepressant drug Cymbalta.

The Indianapolis company sued Cobalt Laboratories, Impax
Laboratories, Sandoz and Wockhardt Ltd. after the companies filed
abbreviated new drug applications to make and sell a generic drug
before Lilly's patent expires in 2013.

Cymbalta is the brand name for the generic duloxetine
hydrochloride (doo-LOCKS'-uh-teen hy-droh-CLOR'-ide). It's Lilly's
second-best selling drug behind the anti-psychotic Zyprexa
(zy-PREX'-uh).

Lilly already has successfully defended the patent protecting
Zyprexa in federal court.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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