Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ADR) (Public, NASDAQ:TEVA)
Mundipharma Receives Boost to European Oxycontin Patent Position; Teva Withdraws Challenge from European Patent Office Mundipharma International Ltd announces a strengthening of its position with respect to European patents on its leading product, OxyContin® (oxycodone HCl controlled-release) tablets, following an agreement between Purdue Pharma L.P. and its associated companies and Teva Pharmaceuticals that has led to the withdrawal by Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe B.V. of its challenge to OxyContin® patents in the European Patent Office and cancellation of the patent infringement case that was pending in the Netherlands District Court of the Hague. Teva's withdrawal of its European challenge and cancellation of its infringement case involving OxyContin® come after Teva recognised the validity of the OxyContin® patents pursuant to an agreement with the Purdue companies executed on August 29, 2006. Under the terms of that agreement, Teva also admits that the OxyContin® patents are infringed by Teva's extended-release oxycodone products. In the United States, Teva will discontinue sales of its generic version of OxyContin® subject to certain contingencies contained in its agreement with Purdue that permit Teva to remain on the market at least through March 31, 2007. The Teva agreement follows a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that vacated a previous trial court finding of unenforceability: "The patents being asserted in favour of OxyContin® have been properly examined and rightly granted. We will vigorously defend the rights they convey against anyone who attempts to infringe on those rights" said Åke Wikström, Regional Director, Europe, Mundipharma International Ltd. Separately, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. has agreed that its extended- release oxycodone products infringe certain of Purdue's, and its associated companies', OxyContin® patents in the U.S., Europe and Canada and that it will not dispute the validity of any of Purdue's, or its associated companies', patents anywhere in the world. Consent judgments reflecting some of the terms of the Teva and Endo settlements have been signed and entered by a federal judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. As a matter of good public health policy, it is vital that patents awarded for scientific and medical inventions be respected. Patents protect inventors and, in the fields of science and medicine, they protect patients as well, who benefit from the fruits of medical research. The inventions protected by patents help to fund further research and thus lead to additional progress towards finding and providing the best possible medicines to relieve human suffering. Mundipharma's independent associated companies invested in excess of EUR250 million to develop OxyContin® and continue to commit millions of Euros to the ongoing research and development of important new medicines in fields such as pain management, haemato-oncology and respiratory conditions. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/ http://www.arizonabiotech.com/ http://www.azhttp.com/ http://www.arizonabiotech.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/ http://www.arizonaentrepreneurs.com/ http://www.azhttp.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biotech-news/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
