Wockhardt settles patent dispute with Orion

Drug maker Wockhardt today said it has settled a patent dispute with European pharmaceutical firm Orion regarding the generic versions of the latter's two products used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The company has executed a settlement and licence agreement with Orion Corporation regarding Wockhardt's application before the US drug regulator for the generic version of European firm's Comtan and Stalevo products, the Mumbai-based drug major informed stock exchanges.

Under the terms of settlement agreement, Wockhardt would be able to launch generic versions of the both drugs "on September 30, 2012, or possibly even earlier," the company further said.

Wockhardt, as the first generic challenger to the Comtan patents, would be eligible for 180 days of marketing exclusivity upon launch in the United States, it said.

"We are pleased with the agreement and are excited to have capitalised on these first-to-file opportunities, which are an indication of the strength of our R&D and intellectual property initiatives," Wockhardt Chairman Habil Khorakiwala said.

Orion in 2008 had filed a lawsuit in the US against Wockhardt for submission of abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) before the US Food and Drug Authority for the generic versions of Comtan and Stalevo.