JERUSALEM (BUSINESS WIRE) — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with Wyeth/Pfizer and Altana/Nycomed to resolve all claims relating to Teva’s sales, commencing in December 2007, of its 20 mg and 40 mg generic Protonix ® (pantoprazole sodium) tablets. As part of the settlement, which provides for the release of all claims against Teva and its subsidiaries, Teva agreed to pay $1.6 billion to Wyeth/Pfizer and Altana/Nycomed. Teva will pay $800 million in 2013 and the remainder in 2014. As a result of this settlement, Teva expects to incur a charge of approximately $930 million in the second quarter of 2013 in addition to the $670 million provision previously recorded in its 2012 financial statements. The Company believes it may have up to $560 million of net insurance coverage in connection with this settlement, subject to recovery from the insurance carriers.
Richard Egosi, Group Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, commented: “We are pleased to put this matter behind us as we continue to focus on delivering safe and affordable medicines to patients around the world.”
As previously reported, Altana Pharma and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals had previously sued Teva for patent infringement, and in September 2007, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey had denied Wyeth’s motion for a preliminary injunction. In May 2009, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the District Court’s denial of the preliminary injunction. Subsequently, a jury trial was held, and in April 2010, the jury returned a verdict finding that the patent, which Teva had infringed, was not invalid. In July 2010, the District Court denied Teva’s motion to overturn the verdict.
