Teva and Medicis announced that the companies have agreed to end patent litigation in the US over Medicis’ acne drug Solodyn (minocycline). The settlement grants Teva the option to sell generic versions of the product starting in November 2011.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Teva confirmed that Medicis’ patents on the drug are valid and enforceable, and agreed to stop any further shipments of its generic products immediately. In return, Medicis indicated that it will not hold Teva liable for prior sales of generic formulations of Solodyn. Other terms were not disclosed.

The news follows Teva’s announcement early on March 18 that it had already begun shipping generic versions of Solodyn in three dosages, after receiving final approval from the FDA for the products. At the time of the launch, a trial date for the patent lawsuit had not been scheduled.

Also on March 18, Medicis stated that the company’s application to the FDA to prevent three companies, including Teva, from launching generic versions of the drug for 30 months was rejected. Collins Stewart analyst Louise Chen remarked that this rejection will be an impediment for Medicis, since whenever a “generic company comes in, [Medicis is] going to have to settle with them to avoid future competition.”

Source: FirstWord

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