Schering-Plough and Perrigo settle suit

Schering-Plough and Perrigo have agreed a settlement on a patent-infringement lawsuit.

As a result, Perrigo has announced it will now launch a generic version of allergy drug Clarinex on July 1st 2012.

Under the terms of the settlement, the company will be able to sell the product – also known as desloratadine – in five mg tablet form.

Two of the disputed patents were set to expire on December 31st 2014, with the third running out on July 7th 2019.

Perrigo’s chairman and chief executive officer Joseph Papa said: “This is another example of Perrigo’s continued commitment to bring new products to the market.”

He added the company is to remain “focused” on its mission to manufacture “quality healthcare more affordable for consumers”.

In other news, Schering-Plough has announced its selective adenosine2a receptor antagonist has met the primary endpoint in a phase II dose-finding trial.

The double-blind, randomised, multicentre and multinational placebo-controlled research was undertaken on patients suffering from moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease.

It studied the efficacy and safety of preladenant.

Based in Kenilworth, US, Schering-Plough employs 55,000 people and had net sales in 2007 of $12.7 billion (8.72 billion pounds).

The company has business operations in more than 140 countries.