AstraZeneca has announced it has entered into a settlement agreement in its Pulmicort Respules patent infringement litigation against Ivax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceuticals USA.
The agreement settles the patent infringement litigation filed by AstraZeneca following Teva's submission to the United States Food & Drug Administration of an Abbreviated New Drug Application for a generic version of Pulmicort Respules. Under the settlement agreement, Teva concedes that the patents asserted by AstraZeneca in the patent litigation are valid and enforceable. Teva also concedes that its generic version of Pulmicort Respules infringes AstraZeneca's patents.
The settlement agreement will allow Teva to commence sales of budesonide inhalation suspension, a generic version of Pulmicort Respules, under an exclusive license from AstraZeneca beginning 15 December 2009. AstraZeneca will receive a significant undisclosed royalty on sales of Teva's product, with a marked step down in payments if additional at-risk generic products enter the marketplace. Teva also agrees to pay AstraZeneca an undisclosed sum in respect of damages resulting from the unauthorised launch of its generic budesonide inhalation suspension product on 18 November 2008. Except as described, the terms of the settlement are confidential. The agreement releases Teva from all past US sales of its generic budesonide inhalation suspension and provides that any product already shipped by Teva will remain in the market to be further distributed and dispensed.
AstraZeneca intends to continue to sell Pulmicort Respules, even after the licensed entry of Teva's product in December 2009. However, the separate agreement between AstraZeneca and Par Pharmaceuticals to make available an authorized generic version of Pulmicort Respules will be discontinued.
AstraZeneca and Teva have filed a Consent Judgment with the US District Court for the District of New Jersey reflecting the terms of the settlement agreement. With the Court now having entered the Consent Judgment, the settlement agreement is final, and the patent infringement litigation against Teva has been dismissed.