Vichy Laboratories and its beauty owner L’Oréal are being sued by pharmaceutical company GlycoBioSciences for patent infringement.
The Canadian group accused the two beauty companies of using its hyaluronic acid and polymer matrix compositions in six cosmetic products.
Documents obtained by Cosmetics Business, filed through the US District Court of Columbia, said that L’Oréal and Vichy had refused to halt production, which triggered the lawsuit.
The products in question include L’Oréal’s Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid, 1.5% HA Revitalift and Revitalift Filler 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid and Vichy’s Liftactiv Supreme HA Wrinkle Filler 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum + Vitamin C, Liftactiv Ha Wrinkle Filler and its Liftactiv Supreme Night 1.5ml Firming Anti-Ageing Cream.
All of the products are sold in the US, including the judicial district.
“Upon investigation, testing, information and belief, the above products contain high concentrations of hyaluronic acid in a polymer matrix, which includes a non-ionic polymer and are formulations that have all of the elements of one or more of the claims of the Glyco Patents and/or have formulae that are equivalent to the claimed formulas,” court documents read.
Glyco said that it has suffered lost profits due to L’Oréal and Vichy’s use of its patented complexes.
The ultimate goal of the court proceedings is to ban L’Oréal and Vichy from using its patented ingredients.
“Glyco has filed suit against L’Oreal in US District Court, in our company’s long standing effort to vigorously protect our products and patented technology,” the company told Cosmetics Business.
“We are very pleased to have Joseph Zito our long time IP attorney, assist us in this effort.”
Glyco is also seeking damages from the companies.
Cosmetics Business has reached out to L’Oréal and Vichy for comment.