Lacey, WA − Unigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading research and development company of proprietary, biologically-active, plant-derived ingredients has filed suit in US District Court in Seattle, alleging that Target Corporation has violated patents that Unigen holds on products containing the ingredients scutellaria and acacia catechu that it produces on an exclusive basis for licensees in the food, drug and mass market.
The lawsuit claims that leading retail giant, Target, is selling dietary supplements that infringe on Unigen’s two patents under the Target Advanced Glucosamine and Chondroitin Complex line of products. The suit is seeking undisclosed damages and an injunction against Target from infringing on Unigen’s patents. Schiff Nutrition, maker of Move Free® Advanced, is the only authorized licensee of the patented ingredients in the food, drug and mass market, including club stores.
Unigen’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Thomas J. Hoolihan, commented, “Unigen spends millions of dollars on research and development and on securing patents for its proprietary ingredients. Our exclusive licensees know that we will stand behind our intellectual property and will aggressively defend our patents for ourselves and for their benefit. To that end, Unigen has already sued two major industry players in a suit similar to the one filed against Target and has reached a settlement that validates our patents and removes infringing products from the market.”