Nycomed files suits against Mallinckrodt

The legal battle over ultrasound contrast patents is going global. Nycomed Amersham of Buckinghamshire, U.K., has filed patent infringement lawsuits in the Netherlands and Germany against Mallinckrodt subsidiaries in those countries, according to AFX newswire. Nycomed Amersham is alleging that the Mallinckrodt units, which have European rights to Molecular Biosystems' Optison ultrasound contrast agent, are infringing on a European patent that Nycomed holds. A third lawsuit was filed against San Diego-based MBI in the District Court of the Hague in the Netherlands, according to AFX.

Nycomed Amersham also has litigation pending against MBI and St. Louis-based Mallinckrodt in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (SCAN 9/17/97). The company filed the litigation in response to patent claims filed by MBI and Mallinckrodt in August. Nycomed's patent covers aspects of the development of gas-containing microbubbles that can be used as an echogenic medium. The patent also covers albumin as a protein encapsulation material. Nycomed's contrast agent that uses the technology is called NC100100.