Intas Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Handa Pharmaceuticals neurology, generics news

AstraZeneca settled a pair of suits filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey regarding ANDAs for generic versions of antipsychotic drug Seroquel XR quetiapine. Under the settlements, AstraZeneca granted Handa and Intas' Accord Healthcare Ltd. subsidiary licenses to market Seroquel XR in the U.S. by Nov. 1, 2016. In return, the generics companies will agree that U.S. Patent Nos. 4,879,288 and 5,948,437 that cover Seroquel XR are valid and enforceable. The '288 expired Sept. 26, while the '437 patent will expire May 28, 2017. The extended-release formulation of dibenzothiazepine had 1H11 U.S. sales of $381 million. ...