Dr Reddy's Laboratories continues efforts to protect OMEZ

The Delhi High Court has granted a temporary injunction restraining Mumbai-based Sun Generics from manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical products bearing the trademark OMZ 20. Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) filed an infringement case against Sun Generics in mid-August. DRL has been manufacturing and selling Omeprazole under the trademark OMEZ since 1991.

DRL contends that Sun Generics' mark is phonetically and visually similar to its own. It is seeking a permanent injunction, details of all illegally earned profits, and damages against Sun Generics and Sunny Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which manufactured the product for Sun Generics.

The court's order temporarily restrains Sun Generics from making or selling pharmaceutical products bearing the OMZ 20 trademark or any other deceptively similar mark, as well as from using similar packaging.

This is the second time this year that DRL has won a case in the Delhi High Court involving Omeprazole. In May the court ordered infringing packaging to be seized from Noida-based Dotsy Pharma, which had been marketing a product called 'Omes' in Russia.

Gladys Mirandah, Ella Cheong Mirandah & Sprusons, Singapore