Takeda sues Apotex over prospective generic versions of its top leukemia drug

Back in 2017, Takeda shelled out more than $5 billion for a smaller company called Ariad Pharmaceuticals, its leukemia drug Iclusig (ponatinib) and its ALK-inhibiting lung cancer drug Alunbrig (brigatinib).

Fast forward five years, and while Iclusig continues to pull in more than $200 million per year for Takeda, the company is now looking to fend off generic competitors, filing suit in New Jersey federal court earlier this week to block a competitor, Canada-based Apotex.