The trial team at Banys, P.C. is once again fighting on behalf of an innovator and entrepreneur. In an antitrust suit filed in federal court against Biogen Inc, Christopher Banys and his team represent Ixchel Pharma LLC. Ixchel is a small company comprised of highly specialized scientists who are dedicated to developing drugs that cure mitochondrial diseases. At issue in this case is the development of a treatment for Friedrich’s ataxia.
Friedrich’s ataxia is a a debilitating neuro-degenerative disorder for which there is currently no FDA approved treatment. Claims stem from Biogen’s intentional actions stopping a partnership between Ixchel and a Biogen competitor who were collaborating to continue development of a new treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia. Ixchel’s drug contains dimethyl fumarate, or DMF, the same active ingredient in Biogen’s multiple sclerosis treatment drug, Tecfidera, which generated an estimated $4 billion in revenue for Biogen last year. The claims in the suit, filed in the Eastern District of California, include violations of the Sherman Act, tortious interference with contract, intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage and violations of California business law.
The case is Ixchel Pharma LLC v. Biogen Inc., case number 2:17-cv-00715 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
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