Sanofi settles on Allegra, Nasacort generics in U.S.
PARIS (Reuters) - France's Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA) has agreed to settle patent infringement suits in the United States with Barr Pharmaceuticals BRL.N and Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA.O) over their generic copies of its allergy drugs Allegra and Nasacort.
The world's third largest drugmaker said on Wednesday the settlements, which are subject to review by the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. state Attorneys General, allowed generic competition in certain versions of the drugs before their patents expire.
In exchange for payment of royalties, Sanofi-Aventis agreed to grant Barr and Teva a license to certain patent rights permitting them to sell certain cheaper copies of Allegra. It will grant Barr a license to certain patent rights to sell generic versions of Nasacort in the United States.
Sanofi did not disclose the amount Barr and Teva, which is the world's largest generic drugmaker and is buying Barr, would pay on past sales of generic versions of the drugs.
The licences are non-exclusive, Sanofi said.
In 2007, U.S. sales of Nasacort AQ, on which two patents will expire in 2016, amounted to $301 million. Allegra and Allegra D-12 will lose their patent protection from 2012 to 2018, and U.S. sales for Allegra D-12 were $276 million.
