Sun Pharma settles Lexapro patent issue with Forest Lab Inc

fe Bureau
Posted: Saturday, Jul 11, 2009 at 2336 hrs IST
Updated: Saturday, Jul 11, 2009 at 2336 hrs IST

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Mumbai: US-based Forest Laboratories, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Forest Laboratories Holdings, Ltd. and H Lundbeck A/S have entered into a settlement agreement with Sun Pharma and its US subsidiary Caraco, regarding pending patent infringement disputes for the US patent for Forest’s Lexapro brand (escitalopram oxalate) tablet products. The drug is used for the treatment of depression and generalised anxiety in adults. These patents, listed in the US Food and Drug Administration’s Orange Book, were licensed to Forest by H. Lundbeck A/S on an exclusive basis in the US. Forest and Lundbeck will provide licenses to Caraco for any patents related to Lexapro with respect to the marketing of Caraco’s generic version of the product. Caraco will take over the commercialisation and sale of several products from Forest’s Inwood business. Caraco will pay Forest an undisclosed advance against royalties and royalties on net sales of these products, said a company statement. Sales of Lexapro declined significantly by 3% to $585.5 million in the third quarter of its fiscal year 2009. The patent of Lexapro which accounts for about 60% of Forest’s revenue, will expire in 2013. In exchange for an upfront payment (and royalties but only if the technology is used), Sun Pharma will license to Lundbeck on a worldwide basis certain patent applications related to the synthesis of escitalopram and citalopram.

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