Posted by In the lawsuit, a foot doctor named Allen Jacob is arguing that the manufacturer of Metanx Substitutes, Forest and Neurpath-B, lied about the ingredients in these products. He notes that the products contained a key ingredient that came from China. In this lawsuit, he wants to depose Acella. He also wants to examine new avenues of evidence. The Louisiana lawsuit also highlights the work of foot doctor Allen Jacob, who noticed that patients treated with Metanx were significantly better than those who didn’t.
Forest
Despite being marketed as a unique formulation, Forest and Metanx are not generically equivalent. While Forest is the manufacturer’s name, Metanx is the product’s trademark. However, Brookstone has contacted national pharmaceutical databases to inform them that the two products are chemically similar. This is a major factor in the comparison between Forest and Metanx.
In response to the controversy surrounding Metanx, some pharmacies are now stocking generic versions of the medication. Neuropathy-B, a Chinese folate source, is being substituted for Metanx. Both are manufactured by Acella Pharmaceuticals. This decision has caused many pharmacies to stock the generic equivalent of Metanx. These generics have the same active ingredient, but they differ in how the drug is manufactured.
Neuropathy-B
The Neuropathy-B Metanx Substitutions lawsuit is a class action that seeks monetary compensation for the falsely advertised generic drug. Neuropathy-B is manufactured by Acella Pharmaceuticals and contains a Chinese source of folate – not the same active form found in Metanx. In addition, major U.S. wholesalers identified Neurpath-B as a Metanx substitute. Therefore, many pharmacies stockpiled the generic product, even though it contains no equivalent active form of folate.
The pharmaceutical companies have been dispensed with a legal lawsuit alleging that they were infringing on a federal trademark. The FDA has deemed Metanx as a trademark, which means it is protected by the USP. However, Neurpath-B is not the same as Metanx. It also does not contain a specific formula that is required by the Food and Drug Administration.
Viva
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the manufacturer of the generic drugs known as Viva Metanx. The company that created Metanx is called Pan American Laboratories. The company is based in Covington, Louisiana. Plaintiffs claim the products were marketed as the same but were not. The company also failed to disclose the difference in ingredients. During the class action, plaintiffs were awarded damages of at least $4 million.
Earlier in 2013, Pamlab LLC, a pharmaceutical company, sent a letter to pharmacists and healthcare professionals warning them not to sell fake drugs. The letter also stated that a similar product called Neurpath-B is available for purchase. Neuropathy-B contains a Chinese source of folate, not the active form used in Metanx. Many pharmacies began stocking Neurpath-B as a generic Metanx substitute.
Maven
The plaintiffs’ patent and trademark rights are threatened by a new lawsuit filed by PAMLAB L.L.C. against Macoven Pharmaceuticals, LLC. The plaintiffs have requested that Macoven cease manufacturing generic forms of L-Methylfolate Calcium 7.5. The company has agreed to do so. The lawsuits allege that Macoven violated their rights to protect their trademarks and patents.