AstraZeneca and Teva work together on patent dispute

AstraZeneca has announced that it will work with Teva to resolve a patent dispute involving the generic version of AstraZeneca’s Nexium capsules (esomeprazole magnesium).

Under the new agreement, AstraZeneca has granted Teva permission to market its generic esomeprazole as of May 27th 2014 or earlier, subject to regulatory approval.

Additionally, Teva has agreed that six Nexium patents would be infringed by the manufacture or sale of generic esomeprazole and conceded that all patents-at-issue in its Nexium litigations are legitimate and enforceable.

Another contract signed between the two firms established that an existing patent litigation related to Prilosec (omeprazole) will see Teva make a one-off payment to AstraZeneca for infringing sales in the past.

In other AstraZeneca news, the company revealed last week that its biologics unit MedImmune has filed its formal regulatory reply to a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration for the drug Motavizumab.