AstraZeneca Enters Into a Settlement Agreement with Accord Healthcare, Inc. and Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd regarding US SEROQUEL XR® Patent Litigation


AstraZeneca Enters Into a Settlement Agreement with Accord Healthcare,
Inc. and Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd regarding US SEROQUEL XR® Patent
Litigation

 

AstraZeneca today announced it has entered into a settlement agreement
in its US SEROQUEL XR® patent infringement litigation against Accord
Healthcare, Inc. (Accord) and Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Intas)
regarding Accord's proposed generic version of AstraZeneca's SEROQUEL XR
(quetiapine fumarate) extended-release tablets.

The agreement settles the patent infringement litigation filed by
AstraZeneca following Accord's submission to the US Food and Drug
Administration of an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a
generic version of SEROQUEL XR. Under the settlement agreement, Accord
does not dispute that the patent asserted by AstraZeneca in the US
patent litigation is valid and enforceable.  

As part of the agreement, AstraZeneca has granted Accord a licence to
enter the US market with generic SEROQUEL XR on 1 November 2016 or
earlier upon certain circumstances. SEROQUEL XR is protected by patents
and other exclusivity rights that range from March 2012 to November
2017.

AstraZeneca and Accord will file a proposed Consent Judgment with the US
District Court for the District of New Jersey requesting the Court
dismiss the pending legal action between AstraZeneca and Accord. The
remaining SEROQUEL XR patent infringement litigations remain on-going.

The settlement with Accord will have no impact on the Company's full
year 2011 financial guidance. As is customary, the Company will review
its financial guidance in conjunction with its Third quarter and Nine
Months 2011 Financial Results announcement on 27 October.

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS

About SEROQUEL XR

SEROQUEL XR, a once-daily, extended-release tablet formulation of
quetiapine fumarate, is approved in the US  in adults for (1) add-on
treatment to an antidepressant for patients with major depressive
disorder (MDD) who did not have an adequate response to antidepressant
therapy; (2) acute depressive episodes in bipolar disorder; (3) acute
manic or mixed episodes in bipolar disorder alone or with lithium or
divalproex; (4) long-term treatment of bipolar disorder with lithium or
divalproex; and (5) schizophrenia.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business
with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialisation
of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,
neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious
disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative
medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more
information please visit:
www.astrazeneca.com (http://www.astrazeneca.com/)

CONTACTS

Media Enquiries

Esra Erkal-Paler                         +44 20 7604 8030 (24 hours)
Abigail Baron                              +44 20 7604 8034 (24 hours)
Isabelle Jouin                              +44 20 7604 8031 (24 hours)

Investor Enquiries UK

Karl Hård                                    +44 20 7604 8123 mob: +44
7789 654364

Nicklas Westerholm                   +44 20 7604 8124 mob: +44 7585
404950

Investor Enquiries US

Ed Seage      +1 302 886 4065   mob: +1 302 373 1361
Jorgen Winroth                   +1 212 579 0506   mob: +1 917 612 4043