NEW YORK (AP) — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. said Friday it will be able to launch a generic version of a popular birth control pill under terms of a patent settlement with Johnson & Johnson. The Israeli drugmaker said it will be able to relaunch its version of the drug Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo on Dec. 31, 2015. Teva started selling its pill, called Tri-Lo Sprintec, earlier this month after gaining marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Johnson & Johnson then sued Teva for patent infringement, and Teva halted shipments. Teva said it will make a royalty payment to Johnson & Johnson, and in return, it will get a release for the previous sales. It did not disclose the size of the payment. Teva, the world’s largest generic drugmaker by revenue, said it will be able to launch Tri-Lo Sprintec earlier than Dec. 31, 2015, under some circumstances. It said the settlement will not take effect until a court enters a judgment upholding Johnson & Johnson’s patents, which are scheduled to expire in 2019. Ortho-Tri-Cyclen is marketed by Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-McNeill-Janssen unit, and Teva said U.S. sales were $400 million in the 12 months ended March 31.
