Opinion ID: 2718252
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: A process of making a solid pharmaceutical

Text: composition comprising moexipril magnesium, said process comprising the step of reacting moexipril or an acid addition salt thereof with an alkaline magnesium compound in a controlled manner in the presence of a sufficient amount of solvent for a predetermined amount of time so as to con- vert greater than 80% of the moexipril or moex- ipril acid addition salt to moexipril magnesium. In the preferred embodiment, moexipril hydrochloride is reacted with magnesium hydroxide or the magnesium salt of a weak acid (e.g., magnesium carbonate) to obtain moexipril magnesium. See id. col. 2 l. 66–col. 3 l. 5. The ’556 patent explains that the reaction cannot be accomplished in dry form and must be carried out in the presence of a solvent. Id. col. 2 ll. 38–45. After the reaction has occurred and the solvent has evaporated, the dried material can be compressed into tablets. This process is called “wet granulation” and has been known in the pharmaceutical industry since at least the 1980s. 4 APOTEX INC. v. UCB, INC.