Hints and tips:
...Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical group, will receive a $270m payment from its generic rival Apotex over rights to its blockbuster blood thinner Plavix, briefly easing the impact of patent expiries on one...
...Apotex said it would appeal against the ruling....
...Chances are BMS will ultimately be able to defend the drug’s exclusive US rights against Apotex, the generic challenger. But Sanofi, as a party to the case, is in the best position to assess that....
...Anlalysts say they are increasingly likely to win on Plavix, but probably lost around $1bn in sales last year after Apotex, the generic challenger, flooded the market with its cheaper copy....
...The deal could be complicated by legal action in the US where BMS has been under investigation by the justice department since last summer over an agreement sought with Apotex, a generic manufacturer....
...Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis’s troubled deal with Apotex highlights the tactics that traditional large pharmaceutical companies are being forced to adopt as they struggle to adjust to intensifying...
...The bleeding at Sanofi and Bristol is largely of their own making. In their botched attempt to avoid Plavix litigation, the two struck a deal with Apotex....
...Sanofi’s patent was long viewed as fairly secure – until earlier this year, when the two companies struck a deal with Apotex, a generic drug maker, in a botched attempt to avoid competition for Plavix....
...Results from Bristol-Myers Squibb, which jointly markets the drug with Sanofi-Aventis, underscore its importance....
...Under terms negotiated between Apotex, Bristol and Sanofi, Apotex was allowed a window to launch its version of Plavix before Bristol and Sanofi challenged the launch in court....
...This allowed Apotex to use its inventory to “flood the market”, BMS and Sanofi argue....
...Apotex’s launch also raised questions about the strength of Bristol and Sanofi’s case to defend the Plavix patent....
...If a court upholds Bristol and Sanofi’s patent claims, Apotex would have to pay the companies damages. However, Bristol and Sanofi agreed to caps on those damages in the settlement agreement....
...Bristol and Sanofi also were ordered to post a $400m bond to pay Apotex in case they lose the patent trial....
...Sanofi-Aventis, the French drugmaker and Bristol’s partner in Plavix, leads the list of those potential buyers....
...The launch came after negotiations failed between Bristol and French partner Sanofi-Aventis, and Apotex, the Canadian generic drugmaker....
...Last week, Apotex launched generic Plavix five years prior to the 2011 patent expiration claimed by Bristol and Sanofi....
...with generic drug maker Apotex....
...Directors are assessing Bristol’s failed attempts to delay generic competition for Plavix, co-marketed with Sanofi-Aventis of France....
...Bristol and Sanofi’s negotiations with Apotex also have prompted a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice....
...Bristol and Sanofi shares received a boost on the announcement of the settlement with Apotex in March, reflecting investors’ relief that a legal cloud hanging over Plavix, a drug critical to the companies...
...There has never been anything easy with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis’ deal with Apotex to settle patent litigation over Plavix....
...Along with US partner Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi requested a preliminary injunction to halt sales by Apotex of a generic form of the blood-thinning drug....
...Sanofi, Apotex and the justice department refused to comment....
...Risk to Bristol and Sanofi appeared to lessen in March when they announced an agreement with Apotex to settle a patent dispute....
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