Sandoz and Novartis have yet to comment on the lawsuit, and the latter is preparing to spin off Sandoz into a standalone company later this year. Prolia is used for osteoporosis treatment, while Xgeva is utilized for the treatment of bone cancer and fracture prevention in bone-cancer patients, with both drugs containing the active ingredient denosumab.

In 2010, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved both Prolia and Xgeva drugs. Amgen, headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, sold 3.6 billion USD worth of Prolia and 2 billion USD worth of Xgeva last year. Sandoz's application for biosimilar versions of the Amgen biologic drugs was accepted by the FDA in February. These drugs are derived from living cells, unlike traditional small-molecule drugs. Amgen claimed that the proposed biosimilars infringe on 21 patents that cover Prolia and Xgeva.

On the other hand, Novartis stocks are near to their all-time high at 103,54 USD per share.

Movement of Novartis stocks since coming to the market. (Source: Trading Economics)