Pfizer and Sumitomo end UK lawsuits

Pfizer and Sumitomo have agreed to settle lawsuits concerning the licensing of Amlodin, the treatment for hypertension and angina pectoris.

Lawsuits were filed in Japan after the merger between Dainippon and Sumitomo Pharma when Pfizer complained that the newly merged company, DSP, did not have the same licensing rights for Amlodin as the original Sumitomo company.

Pfizer filed a lawsuit in Japan firstly and then England to insist that DSP ceases to manufacture Amlodin and return any medical data. However, the High Court ruled that it had no jurisdiction over licensing matters and that Japanese merger and acquisition law should interpret the dispute.

DSP and Sumitomo Chemical counter-sued, arguing that it was entitled to produce drugs under the original agreement.

The two parties have now resolved their differences and Pfizer has agreed to allow DSP to continue manufacturing Amlodin under the terms of the original Sumitomo agreement. No financial transaction has occurred in the settlement.

Amlodipine, the generic name for Amlodin, is marketed by Pfizer as Norvasc in some countries. It is approved for use in the UK in the treatment of co-morbid hypertension and angina in patients with heart failure.

The drug is the world’s most prescribed medicine for hypertension.

Last week, a US court ruled that Pfizer’s Norvasc product did not breach patents held by Synthon IP.

Allen Waxman, Pfizer’s general counsel, commented: “Today’s unanimous decisions underscore our determination to defend our products against unwarranted attacks and to support research-based medical innovations that benefit millions of patients.”

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