Even as two multinationals and an Indian pharma company fight over a generic drug to treat stomach acid, a third giant has been pulled into legal battle. Pharma biggie Wyeth had filed a patent suit against Teva Pharmaceuticals and Mumbai-based Sun Pharma for its generic drug, Protonix. Wyeth is now also suing fellow biggie Novartis, whose generic unit Sandoz has applied to bring an injectable version of Protonix to market. Meanwhile, Sun Pharma continues to sell the generic form of the drug in the US because of the grant of its 180-day exclusivity period, in a dosage form which had annual sales of about $2 billion. The drug is used to treat erosive esophagitis (damage to the esophagus from stomach acid), and other conditions involving excess stmach acid. Sun Pharma's product is being sold in the US by its marketing partner Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories. Sun Pharma received USFDA approval for the tablets in September 2007. Sun's launch was initiated after the December 22, 2007 commercial launch of Protonix by Teva Pharmaceutical. Analysts said both Teva and Sun shared a 180-day marketing exclusivity period for the product. However, Teva dramatically took its drug off the market, post which Wyeth launched its own authorised generic. A day later, Sun Pharma stepped in with its own drug. Officials at both Sun Pharma and Wyeth in Mumbai refused to comment. Analysts who spoke to TOI maintained that Teva went into some kind of discussion with Wyeth, but since the discussion broke down, Wyeth went ahead and launched its own generic. Now, Sandoz has applied for an injectable form of the drug Wyeth sells as Protonix IV. Nycomed, which licenses the drug to Wyeth, is also joining in the suit. Wyeth is seeking an injunction to keep Novartiss generic off the market until 2010.Analysts pointed out that the sale of generic Protonix has driven the price of drugs down for patients. According to reports, sales of the drug were off 66% in the first quarter, to $159 million. Novartis buys drug firm Protez for $400m Zurich: Novartis has bought US-based Protez Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth up to $400 million, giving it rights to an antibiotic which could be used to fight superbugs such as MRSA, the Swiss drugmaker said. "(The) acquisition of Protez Pharmaceuticals provides rights to PZ-601 and further strengthens specialty medicines development portfolio in hospital infections,' Novartis said. Z-601 is a novel broad-spectrum antibiotic in Phase II development against potentially deadly drug-resistant infections, including MRSA and ESBL strains, Novartis said. Novartis will initially pay $100 million for privately held Protez, with a potential for up to $300 million of additional payments depending on the success of PZ-601, the company said. The emergence of hospital superbugs such as MRSA, which are resistant to existing medicines, has increased the need for alternative treatments and re-focused attention on antibiotics. REUTERS