HomeNewsBusinessCompaniesTeva, Sun Pharma settle patent suit with Pfizer for $2.15b

Teva, Sun Pharma settle patent suit with Pfizer for $2.15b

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and its subsidiary would pay USD 2.15 billion to Pfizer Inc as a settlement for a patent suit for acid-reflux drug Protonix.

June 14, 2013 / 19:05 IST
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Pfizer Inc said it reached a $2.15 billion settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd related to patent infringement on its acid-reflux drug Protonix.


Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Pfizer's partner, will receive 36 percent or about $774 million from the settlement.
Pfizer won a protracted 10-year legal battle in April 2010 when a New Jersey jury ruled that Teva had infringed the Protonix patent. Teva started selling a generic version of the drug in 2007. A trial to determine damages began on Monday.
The patent was held by Nycomed- now a Takeda subsidiary. Protonix was licensed to Wyeth, which is now owned by Pfizer.
Israel-based Teva will pay $800 million in 2013 and the remaining $800 million by October 2014. India's Sun Pharma will make its entire payment of $550 million in 2013.
Teva said in February that it may face legal losses of up to $2.07 billion to resolve the case.
Sun Pharma set aside 5.84 billion rupees, or about $100 million, last November towards potential damages to Pfizer. The company will now have to shell out a further $450 million as final settlement.
"This is not a very positive out-of-court settlement. The agreed amount is way too high for such a settlement," said Daljeet Kohli, head of research at brokerage IndiaNivesh in Mumbai. "It will also restrict Sun's ability to look for acquisitions."
Pfizer's shares were up about 1 percent at $28.66 before the bell, while Teva's U.S.-listed shares were down about 1 percent at $39.51.
Sun Pharma closed little changed at 980.70 rupees, while Takeda's stock closed down 1.4 percent at 4,355 yen. For CNBC-TV18 comments watch video.
first published: Jun 12, 2013 07:25 pm

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