Sanofi, Bristol to Settle Plavix Patent Suit
From Reuters
Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said they had settled a dispute with generic drug maker Apotex Inc. that could keep patent protection on their multibillion-dollar blood thinner Plavix until 2011.
A trial involving the disputed Plavix patent had been set to begin in June in U.S. District Court in New York.
Sanofi and Bristol-Myers said they had approached Indian generic drug maker Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. to discuss a similar settlement.
Under terms of the proposed Apotex settlement, Sanofi-Aventis would grant Apotex a royalty-bearing license to sell clopidogrel bisulfate in the U.S. once the patent expires in 2011. Clopidogrel is the chemical name for Plavix.
