Finnish Orion sues Wockhardt in U.S. over patents

HELSINKI, Sept 14 (Reuters) Finnish drugs firm Orion has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States against generic drug firm Wockhardt Orion said in a statement late on Thursday.

Orion said Wockhardt seeks to market in the United States generic entacapone, which is the active ingredient in Orion's Parkinson disease drug Comtan, marketed in the United States exclusively by Novartis.

''Orion Corporation and Novartis will vigorously defend the intellectual property rights covering Comtan,'' Orion said.

REUTERS DKS KP1124