AstraZeneca begins legal proceedings against Teva

Legal proceedings have begun against the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva for alleged violations of a patent owned by AstraZeneca.

The company said that it was proceeding with legal action after Teva announced that it wished to make a generic form of AstraZeneca’s Seroquel drug in September when the company filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Seroquel, otherwise known as quetiapine fumarate, is used to treat sufferers of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The psychotropic is said by AstraZeneca to help suffers of both illnesses manage their symptoms. The company had 42 days to respond after Teva filed the application.

AstraZeneca said in a statement that “filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries, Ltd. for wilful infringement of AstraZeneca’s substance patent protecting Seroquel”.

“AstraZeneca has full confidence in and will continue vigorously to defend and enforce its intellectual property rights protecting Seroquel,” it added.

Meanwhile, Israeli drug firm Teva announced it made net profits of $267 million during the third quarter of the year, with revenues reached $1.3 billion, exceeding analysts’ forecasts.

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